How to Kill Me
by WitchyGirl99
Summary: Kagome's a demon slayer buying her way out of a life she never wanted. When a half-demon appears and begs to join her she's wary, even as feelings and lust bring them together. But Inuyasha has a plan and it's one Kagome doesn't come out of alive. InuKag.
1. Welcome To Hell

**New story, just like I promised! I'm back! I'm personally very excited for this story. I love it so far, but that's just me.**

**Note One: There is a lot of cursing, hence the M rating. This story will also contain other scenes, well you know what I mean... I'll always leave the option for those who wish not to read the lemons.**

**Note Two: Kagome is OOC but given her situation I'm portraying her as a girl who has been through terrible trauma and therefore, changed completely. There will be mention of the "past" her, which will ideally portray the Kagome we all know from the show.**

**Note Three: For this story, I'm going to use REAL towns and places. However, the name of schools, stores and motels will be changed. Not because I can't find them but because I feel odd about doing it. I don't know why, just letting you all know. Also, this is a world of HUMANS ONLY, which is why demons are bad and so on. It's present place and time.**

**Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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How To Kill Me

**Chapter One: Welcome to Hell**

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"_Then I was thinking to myself this could be Heaven or this could be Hell."_

_-Hotel California, The Eagles_

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To be frank, I'm one huge bitch.

This man in front of me seriously wasn't getting it.

"I said get out of the fucking house!" I shouted, my silver gun pointed at him. "It will kill you if you stay. Get out of the house!"

Yeah, I'm a bitch, but I'm a lifesaver – once you get past the whole gun-in-your-face problem.

In my defence, I'm trying to save this man. He was in his early forties, single, and lived in a house that his mother probably used to own. A bottle of Jack Daniel's was gripped tightly in his hands and his bloodshot eyes were glaring at me. For a moment, I felt pity. It wasn't his fault that his house was haunted by a beautiful woman that isolated him from the world. It wasn't his fault he stopped working because his gorgeous "wife" missed him so much. It was the demon's fault.

Yup, I said he was haunted by a demon.

And I'm the slayer.

"You'll kill her!" he hissed at me, his words coming out in one long slur. He was delusional, obviously drunk and out of his mind. I tried to remember that when I crossed the distance between us and whacked him in the head with the butt of my gun.

Stupid son of a bitch. He should've listened.

A piercing shriek filled my ears and I did a full three-sixty, my gun pointed straight ahead with my flashlight in my other hand. It was past midnight, and of course, pouring rain outside.

Because supernatural hunts would be _nothing_ without a little rain, thunder and lightning to make the already dramatic scene _cliché_. But whatever, I was past it.

"Come on prissy, prissy, prissy," I cooed, my eyes constantly darting from one end of the house to the other as I searched the hallway. My drawings stated that the staircase was just at the end, and the mistress' bedroom was the first on the right. I found the stairs and climbed up them, listening to gut-wrenching sobs as I took each step.

"You bitch!" a female scream sounded, echoing through the empty, disgusting walls. "How dare you hurt my husband!"

There. I braced myself for a moment before standing directly in front of the doorway, seeing the pale figure of a female in my line of vision. Or, more specifically, my gun's line of vision. I didn't think twice. As the demon came at me, her eyes changing from colourful human to blood-red demon, I shot her – triple tapping her. One in her leg, her heart and finally her forehead. The sound of gunshots echoed through the broken down building, ringing in my ears. I was long used to booming sounds, something one had to grow accustomed to when they shot at something constantly.

I walked over to the shaking body of the demon, the true form now revealed. No longer did the demon look like a beautiful woman dressed in white see-through lingerie, but like an ugly rotting monkey from Hell. Yeah, no one said they were pretty.

"I'll kill you," the demon hissed wickedly, sneering as black blood poured out of its mouth. "We'll all kill you. There's a reason you're not free. There's a reason you're forbidden to lead a life of normality. You have a destiny – one in which you'll die."

"Yup, the number of times I've heard that has definitely surpassed my two hands. Look, you're going to Hell. Have a fun trip." I didn't smile, I didn't frown and I sure as hell didn't cry. Without any hesitation I placed my palm on the demon's left chest, where its black heart beat. Quickly, I scrunched up my hands, feeling the tug and pull of the demon's heart as I ripped it towards my hand, breaking ventricles and veins as it approached the rib cage that was already snapping.

The demon shrieked beneath my hand, agonizing pain searing through it. Still, I didn't flinch as I closed my eyes and clenched my hand in one quick, smooth motion. With my hand in a fist, the demon's scream ended and there was nothing but ungodly silence.

For a long moment, I stared at the demon. Its eyes were wrenched open, the look of pain evident on its features. I sighed and shook my head as I bent my hand over to close the lids. Yes, I was a bitch. Yes, I was a lifesaver. Yes, I was a demon slayer.

But I wasn't a terrible person. If I could make their deaths a little less painful, I would. The option was out of my hands, so to speak, considering it was my touch that purified their black heart and ultimately killed them. I waited for the storm to pass, for my own heart to slow its beating from the use of my powers.

There's a lot about me you don't know, but it's going to be a long ride anyways, so you might as well sit back and get comfortable.

I stood up and exited the house, carefully stepping over the unconscious homeowner. My car sat just outside, covered by the ugly brown sack I used to make it a little more inconspicuous. I went to the back, unclipping the lock and then moving to the sides to do the same. There was a final one at the front and when I was just about finished, just about ready to grab it, throw it in the truck and blow this town, I heard sirens.

Fucking fuzz.

Yes, the cops were wonderful people. The cops were loyal little hounds that did the work they were supposed to – the work that included catching thieves, robbers and murders.

Oh gee, me?

I grabbed the tarp and yanked it in the front door with me. I slammed the door, shoved the keys in and started the engine. My baby purred like a feline. I slammed the stick into first and drove away. One thing about Corvettes: they're damned fast if you have the right one. Now you can fully appreciate why I covered it up.

I looked in my rear-view, watching as the flashing blue, red and white lights lit up the scenery. The house was in the middle of nowhere, so they were obviously looking for me. I guess they thought I was a little suspicious about the whole haunted house story and thought I would do something stupid. Well, let's see. A demon is dead so all they'll see is a rotting monkey upstairs and the homeowner is alive. He'll have the worst headache of his life when he gets up, but he's alive. There was little to book me on for that: breaking and entering and assault with a deadly weapon.

Oh well. C'est la vie.

I turned up the volume and listened to my new _Rise Against_ CD, happily singing along. I was so used to driving standard that the motions didn't even faze me. I stole this car two months ago, when it was fresh on the market – the new 2009 Corvette, but the _really_ nice one. I had been stealing cars since I was little, when I was taught to hotwire a car and got it going without the keys. Certain events triggered this life of loneliness and murder (of demons, by the way); I'm not just a whack-job. So I primarily stole really nice cars that had a lot of engine power. Gas wasn't a problem because of my several thousand credit cards that, well, the bill never made its way to.

I was bouncing, singing loudly to try and drown out my thoughts when all of a sudden, my headlights caught a flash of beige directly in my path and I slammed the brakes, listening to the stutter of the wheels as I stopped nearly on a dime. I still had a few feet to spare, but looking at the man in front of me was almost as startling as actually hitting him.

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself, trying to get a good look. All I saw was a pale face, mostly blotted out by my headlights, amber orbs and long tresses of...blonde? I couldn't be sure, the lights were too bright and he was too close. He smiled, waved and then before I could even blink in response, he crouched and sprang up, completely disappearing.

"Fuck!" I yelped, realizing that all of my staring was useless since I had been looking at a _demon_. But amber eyes? Humans didn't have amber eyes and neither did demons. Humans had the basic colours: brown, blue, green, grey and all the little mixes in between. Demons had red. I'm sorry but amber came up _nowhere_ on that list of mine. Still, no human could make that jump without help. I leapt out of the car, pulled my silver gun from the holster and looked around the dark night, staying close to the open driver's-side door. I waited and waited, looking at every inch of the night around me, but nothing flickered. My senses didn't even register that a demon was actually here. So...I was losing it?

I sighed and holstered my gun, making sure to buckle it in place so a fast one wasn't pulled on me. I grabbed the tarp out of the front and shoved it in my truck on top of my little vacuum and clear pressed bags. Getting back in my car, I took a deep breath, looking around and then started to drive again, searching out the nearest motel.

Let's go through a little history lesson, shall we?

Demons are real. They exist and they are out to kill you. You think this is a joke? Just wait until one snags you, and then we'll see who's coming to save your sorry ass. Demons can also perfectly blend into human society and they can do that in two ways: to possess a body or to mimic a body. A demon can possess a body in seconds, but usually, the human soul within tries to fight and makes it difficult for a demon to have complete control. The only good thing about possession for a demon is that if someone tries to kill it, they will only kill the body and not the demon's soul. It takes an exorcism to send the demon back to Hell. When a demon mimics a body, they take on the form of a human, like a blanket of invisibility over their bodies.

The greatest part of all of it? Humans don't know shit. Your best friend could be a demon. Your mom for Christ's sake, and you wouldn't know it. Demons are able to adapt in seconds, and it would only take a full day for a demon to get in the routine of the meat-shell. Oh, and as gross as that sounds, that's basically what it is. Our bodies are a meat-shell for our souls – if a demon takes over, it's their shell.

So you're probably thinking how the _hell_ we can stop this. Considering the fact that humans can't tell the difference between a real demon and a real human, nothing can be done there. But – and this is a huge _but_ – something can be done. This something is the biggest laugh of the universe: humans with holy powers. The powers stem from what most would consider priest or priestess powers – holy powers delivered from Upstairs. Me, I don't know what I believe. All I know is that I can kill demons.

For kicks, we'll call my powers mini-exorcisms or mini-purification. Same shit; different pile.

A motel finally drew in my sights and slowing down I turned into the dimly lit parking lot. Parking my car, I sighed as I turned it off and got out. There were only two other cars in the lot, leaving to me feel only slightly better that this wasn't a very popular road. Still, I removed my duffel bag from the trunk and covered my steal with the tarp. The motel wasn't exactly what you would call a five-star resort, but it was a lot better than sleeping in the car. I hauled my bag onto my shoulder and entered the lobby where an older man sat reading the newspaper. He hardly looked up when I appeared at the desk.

"For one, please," I whispered, intentionally altering my voice a bit.

"Queen?"

"Please."

The old man sighed heavily and put down the newspaper, barely sparing a glance my way while he wrote a couple things down on a pad of paper. "And you're choice of payment?"

"Do you accept Visa?"

The man grunted a nod.

Handing him the card, I took a quick look at the name on it, since I didn't really know what it was. I had approximately five Visas, three Mastercards and numerous other credit cards. I also had seven driver's licenses, two passports and thirty-six different kinds of badges and official ID.

None of them were real, in case you were wondering. Hence the whole bills-never-making-their-way-to-me idea. Okay, most would call this fraud and a various assortment of other names, but I choose to call this _my life in a nutshell_.

My name, then, you ask? Well, I probably should've mentioned that in the beginning. Sorry, I was too distracted trying to kill a demon. My name is Kagome Higurashi. I'm twenty-one years old. I'm a kick ass demon slayer but I have absolutely no life. I'm alone but I choose to be alone.

Once I had a normal life: a real, serious boyfriend, amazing best friends and an adorable but quite insane family. Once I believed that nothing could go wrong.

And then, on June 6th, 2006, my entire life was turned upside down.

Oh yeah, I forgot the irony. My life from normality to demon slaying changed on the day of 06/06/06. Not exactly the "number of the beast", but enough irony for me to want to weep in it.

"Sign here, please," the gruff man grunted, still not looking at me. I signed my fake name in a flourish and then gave the slip back while getting the keys from his hands and the room number. It didn't take me long to get settled in. The motel was decent. The mattresses weren't top quality but it was much better than a hard leather seat.

Quickly grabbing the bag of salt from my duffel bag, I salted the lining of the doors and windows, making sure that there were no breaks. As a demon slayer, I was on the most wanted list and the only thing that warded the buggers off was salt. When I finished, I got cleaned up and returned to my bed, flipping on the television and searching the news channels for anything that waved a red flag. For the longest time, I was relatively sure that all of the destruction had been caused by humans, until a small three-minute story came at the end.

_Police are still looking for suspects in the murder of Ayumi Okamoto, a seventeen-year old female that was found dead on the side of Fifteenth Side-road and King Road. Police have not yet released any new information on the case, other than her body was paralysed. Medical examiners are still at a loss for the condition, unsure as to why her body is like a statue of stone. A memorial will be held at her school..._

I took down the information of the memorial, making sure to pay attention to the names of the parents and friends. There was so little given though that I had to turn on my laptop and sort through news articles, none of which really provided anything more.

_It's as if it's frozen, although the body temperature is always the same as the conditions provided... As if made of stone... Unbreakable... A horrible tragedy..._

Tragedy was right. This certainly wasn't an accident. The word 'demon' popped into my head the moment the story was told. I shut down my computer and sighed, checking all of my salt lines before slipping out of my clothes and wrestling under the covers.

Tomorrow was just another day of Hell. I knew it. The world knew it.

Oh, but not the stupid little humans.

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Nobleton Ontario was by far a very small town. It ended as soon as you entered it. There was one main street called Highway 27, and along there was a small plaza with a Tim Horton's, a grocery store and a few little bake shops. It really wasn't hard to find the place where the poor girl had been killed. Markers lined a fair chunk of field that strayed on the right shoulder and muddy footprints covered the surrounding road.

Pulling the Corvette to the side and shutting off the engine, I got out and headed immediately to my trunk. I shoved the vacuumed pressed clothes bags out of the way and slid a hidden latch to the side, opening a large compartment underneath my trunk. In it were weapons of all kinds. Any gun, knife, hook, bullet, herb, stick, rock you could think of, I had it. Demons could only be killed by one thing – my spiritual powers – but they could be subdued a million to one different ways, depending on the demon.

Grabbing my silver automatic, I checked the load and then checked the safety, sliding it into my holster and clipping it to my side. I grabbed my pocket knife and put it in my ankle bracelet and then added a couple of other various weapons to my body. You could never be too prepared. Re-latching the compartment I slammed down the trunk and took off to the field where the victim was found.

Summer was just ending, and the brisk air hummed through my windbreaker as I knelt to the ground, looking at the very obvious imprint of a human body. It had rained in the last couple days, but what really was strange was the fact that the imprint was still so clearly there. I frowned, tilting my head and noticeably picking out where the head was, the arms and legs... She had to be heavy as hell to leave such an impression in the dirt. _Like she was a statue..._

"What the hell?" I asked, carefully sliding my body closer. I took a quick look around to make sure no one was coming, but it was early dawn and very few cars were out on the road.

"You, of all people, should really not use that phrase."

I didn't even think about it; I jumped up, turning my body to face the sound of the voice and braced myself for some sort of attack. My arms came up around my face, my legs tensed and ready to sprint to my car as my eyes searched the dirt road.

He wasn't hard to find.

Leaning casually against my beautiful Corvette was a very attractive man, or what I would've considered to be a very attractive man had he not been a _demon_. I whipped my gun out and thumbed off the safety, my aim dead in the centre of his forehead. "Who are you?" I asked; my tone even. I studied his actions, watching the relaxed expression of his hands as he carefully traced the lines of my car. His eyes were downcast and his hair was the most magnificent colour of silver. He wore a sleeveless tank with jeans, but as far as trying to fit in, he really wasn't doing that good of a job.

"Fucking wench," the demon muttered, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "You would forget the fact that you almost ran me over a couple nights ago."

I almost wavered, taken aback by his statement. I almost hit him a couple nights ago? And then the memories of the demon-haunted house came flooding back, and the moment when I had to slam my brakes to make sure I didn't hit the object in front of me – the object that disappeared without a single bleep on my radar. "You waited in the middle of the road. You knew I'd brake," I replied, casually trying to make somewhat conversation.

"Pretty slow for a first-class demon slayer," he sighed, exasperated. "I really expected more."

I frowned. "Who the hell are you, of all things, to say that to me? I could shoot you on the spot."

The demon made a sound almost like a laugh coming from the back of his throat. He finally faced me, forgetting my car and turning what were the most amazing coloured eyes I had ever seen. Amber flecks peered into my own and again I was startled with the fact that I had never come across a demon with those coloured eyes. They were always red – always. There wasn't an exception.

Or maybe there was.

The demon smirked. "Aren't you the _least_ bit curious as to how come you can't even sense my presence, wench?"

"Fuck off," I hissed. "The name's Kagome, jerk-off and I'd watch what you say. I have a gun pointed at your head, if you didn't already realize. Or is your brain too small to figure that out?"

If anything, the smirk grew wider. "You think I don't know your name? Kagome Higurashi, demon slayer extraordinaire. The only demon slayer that's killed over one-hundred of them. Now, why is that? Aren't you supposed to be set free of the life of treachery and danger after one-hundred kills?"

"Maybe I chose to keep killing you sons of bitches," I snapped.

"Shut up with the tough talk, wench," the demon barked. "You don't know shit. Tell me, on a scale of one to ten, how loud is your internal radar going off on my presence?"

I held my face steady, never giving away to the emotions that fleeted across my face. Honestly, there wasn't even a little beep. Nothing. My radar was dead. It was like... He wasn't even there. But he had to be a demon. Silver hair? Amber eyes? The ability to jump super-human heights? There was no doubt about it; so why wasn't my radar going haywire at his nearness?

"That shut you up," the demon laughed, raising his eyebrows. "It must have really pissed you off when the Big Man didn't set you free of demon killing, didn't it?"

I knew he was taunting me. I knew he was trying to set me off and do something stupid. I had been in this business long enough to know how their minds worked. Whatever blackmail they had on me, they would use. I still didn't give a facial reaction but instead, gave a small smile. "Jump."

Without hesitating I lowered my gun and shot off a round directly at his foot, narrowly missing the soft tissue he managed to move. I instantly raised my gun back to its steady presence on his forehead. "Not so tough now," I cooed. "Don't worry. You haven't pissed me off yet. But tell me, why did you kill that poor girl?"

"Stone-girl?" the demon asked, suddenly very curious. "You think I killed her?"

When I raised my brows, he rolled his eyes. "Okay. Not too bright the first time around. I'll have to give you some credit though. My good-looks can be distracting."

I shot off another round, this time hitting him square in the leg, in his thigh.

"You fucking _wench_," the demon spat, his hand reaching down to touch the blood that pooled from his jeans. With my gun still properly aimed, I checked a glance at my marksmanship, watching as the crimson blood ran–

What the _fuck_?

I did a double-take, looking at the red blood as it flowed freely.

"You are such a pain in the ass," the demon hissed. "All I was doing was fucking _talking_ to you. Jump the gun a lot, don't you. Well, _fuck you_ wench. I'll be seeing you around. You can fucking count on that." Without another word, he jumped, disappearing into the forest just off the road. I didn't even shoot after him. I didn't follow his movements with my eyes. I just stood there.

Something was seriously, terribly, horrifyingly wrong. Demons registered on my built-in internal radar; he didn't even make a bleep. Demons only had red eyes; his were amber. Demons had black blood; his was red. Demons could jump crazy heights and run super-fast; he could and had before my eyes twice now. So what the fuck was going on?

What made it worse was that he said he'd be back. With a bullet in his leg, I'd bet that he would.

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**And guess who that was?**

**Please review! I would love to hear what you think!**

**Loves,**

**WitchyGirl99**


	2. Heaven's a Long Way

**I want to thank everyone so much for the reviews. They all mean so much.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

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**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Two: Heaven's a Long Way**

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"_Heaven's gates won't open up for me. With these broken wings I'm falling, and all I see is you."_

_-Savin' Me, Nickelback_

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M.C. Secondary was a very small high school – just like Nobleton was a very small town. I parked my Corvette in the side parking lot, getting quite a few longing looks. I decided to forget the tarp, realizing that the teenagers around me were more idolizing of my car than vengeful. I locked it up and then fixed my knee-length black skirt, my black blazer and the pearls I wore around my neck.

My god, I feel like a stiff.

"Excuse me, miss?" an older male teen asked, looking at my car and then at me. "Are you lost?"

The kids around me looked stunned at the outspoken male and I frowned, unsure of why my business would matter to him. I double checked to make sure I was at the right place and then shook my head at him. I was about to speak when he cut me off.

Surprise, surprise.

"Because Heaven's a long way from here," he interrupted smoothly, coming around so that his body grazed mine. I'm pretty sure he was about to grab my ass. Hunky-dory – teenage boys and their hormones.

I laughed. I full out belly-laughed, shaking my head and ruining the tight up-do of my raven locks. "Kid, Heaven is not the place I would come from." As if I could come from Heaven. Yeah, maybe my _powers_ are from there, but I kill demons for a living. Heaven is innocence and I'm hardly that.

My middle name might as well be _sinner_.

Of course I would be the one to get _that _comment, but whatever.

The kids around me started to giggle, obviously taking my words as a different meaning. Stupid horny little buggers, teenagers are.

"I'm not a kid," the guy argued, looking extremely hurt. "I'm eighteen."

I rolled my eyes. Okay, so I was only twenty-one, which was only three years older. However, demon slaying did nothing but age you unhappily, so my maturity level had surpassed twenty-one long ago. "A kid," I continued and then started to walk to the front of the school. The teenagers moved out of my way as I walked, my heels clicking with the sidewalk. Again, I tugged at my outfit, feeling really confined in all of my business clothes.

I entered the large double-doors and followed the signs to the back of the school where the memorial was being held. It was fairly beautiful for a school with obviously a not-too-great budget to work with. There was a small garden with chairs in rows facing a makeshift podium. Several people were already sitting, waiting for the memorial to begin. I immediately sat down, keeping my eyes downcast as I acted out the part of a grieving friend.

"Hi, thanks for coming," a pretty female voice said, snapping me out of my silence. I looked up to see two younger women, probably seventeen like the Ayumi girl that died. Both were wearing black dresses and tear-stained faces.

"I couldn't imagine being anywhere else," I murmured, tilting my head to the side and trying to read their expressions. "It was all so sudden."

"I'm Yuka," the one girl said, with short straight hair in a headband. "And this is Eri. How do you know Ayumi, if you mind me asking? From work?"

I nodded quickly, taking the only excuse I could get. "I was new but she was just so friendly."

Eri's eyes started to fill up with tears and she sniffed. "Ayumi was always like that. She wanted to be friends with everyone it seemed."

"Had anything been wrong with her that night? I mean, was she troubled or upset or...?" I left the question open, hoping for an answer. If she was frightened, maybe she knew what was going on. Maybe she told somebody. Maybe she said nothing because she thought she was going insane.

Both Yuka and Eri looked at me strangely. Eri gave a small sniffle and then spoke, "Why would you ask that? Oh my god! Was she in the middle of a crisis and we didn't know it?" The horrified look on her face startled Yuka, who in turn looked at me.

"Did she talk to you about anything upsetting?" Yuka asked in a hurried tone.

"No! No, not at all," I quickly mumbled, trying to calm them down. People were starting to look at us, and that was the last thing I wanted. "She never said anything like that to me at work, that's why I was asking you, remember?"

The two girls calmed down, both of them finally breathing again. "Oh," Yuka murmured. "Not as far as I know. She seemed normal."

"Do you think she knew she was going to die?" Eri admonished, clearly still a bit freaked out.

"No," I said firmly, with finality. These girls did _not_ know when to quit. "She most likely didn't."

To my luck, the memorial started a few seconds later, and the two girls gave me a quick hug before going to their seats near the front. I listened patiently, bowing my head at the prayers, nodding to all of her loving quirks and giving small laughs when the time called. I had been at this too long to not know how to blend in. When Ayumi's parents came up to the podium at the front, both crying and shaking, I took note of their names and clothes, remembering to try and talk to them later. Making conversation with grieving parents was never on my list of fun things to do, but I needed to figure out where she was going. She had been in her car, which was now mysteriously missing, and going _somewhere_. Where she was coming from or where she was going could be clues as to what attacked her.

When the memorial was over, I stood up and waited patiently in line with many others who were giving their sincere condolences to the parents. I stood at the very end, letting everyone get their words in before I approached.

"Mr and Mrs Okamoto?" I asked, making my voice higher than normal and my blinking more rapid, all the while trying to force tears to my eyes. I was a natural at fake-crying. "I'm so very sorry for your loss. I...worked with Ayumi. I didn't know her very long but she was lovely."

Ayumi's parents gave me small trembling smiles and I gave them one back. This girl sure had been loved. I took note to kill this demon without remorse.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" Mrs Okamoto asked me, reaching out to touch my hands.

"Abi," I answered automatically.

"Well Abi, thank you for coming," she almost whispered. "I can imagine how scared you must be, coming home from work now. The police still don't know who did it."

Ah, so she had been coming home from work. "I'm not that comfortable, I'll admit," I answered, purposely trying to be vague. "It's not exactly full of people in that area."

"It's the busiest place in Nobleton, too," Mrs Okamoto said, shaking her head. "I thought crime was supposed to be virtually non-existent in small towns."

"It almost is," I agreed.

"Well you be safe," Mr Okamoto stated firmly, putting a hand on his wife's back. "Don't stop for anything."

I nodded. "Again, I'm sorry."

The couple said their goodbyes and I left, piecing together the little that I knew. Ayumi had been leaving work – from the busiest place in Nobleton. And where was that? She was driving home – but where was that? Along the Fifteenth? There was still a lot more I had to learn.

I entered the school, walking down the hallways and looking at the lockers lined in a row. There were coloured posters everywhere, some lagging students talking in the halls and a strange flash... I hesitated, wondering what it was. My radar didn't sense anything unusual but I knew that I had to be cautious. Instead of turning towards the front entrance, I moved away from it, following down another hall.

There. Again there was that flash, a glimpse of silver. I started to walk a little faster, my heels clicked on the tiled floor as I came closer and closer to the object I was searching out for. I rounded another corner, walking into a large stairwell. I started up the steps, straining my neck to see what was at the top. Nothing.

I paused, looking around at my position and then crouching down, going back down the several steps and moving around to the back of the stairwell where another exit stood.

As did the object I was chasing.

My hand automatically went to my hip and I cursed, knowing that I wasn't carrying my preferred weapon. I was still armed, but I didn't want to flash anything right now. Maybe he wanted to just talk again.

"I told you I'd be back," he said smugly, giving me a grin. He took a couple steps towards me, his amber eyes never leaving my face.

I spared a glance at his leg, noticing the fact that there wasn't even a limp in his stride. Something was definitely off with him. "What do you want from me?"

"I told you, I wanted to talk," he answered, shrugging. "I'm not going to leave you alone until you listen to me."

"I'm listening now," I stated firmly, holding his gaze. "What do you want?"

He looked around the stairwell and out through the doors to the main hall. "No, not here. The bell's going to ring any second. Soon though. I'll be back and then we'll talk."

"What makes you think I'll talk to you then?" I hissed, looking down the hall. How did he know it was going to ring soon?

"You'll want me in your sights so you can attempt to kill me, and when I say attempt, I mean fail yet again," he smirked, and then he moved.

Without my radar bleeping, I was taken by surprise at his sudden leap forwards. I barely had time to get into stance and by the time I was there, he was already in front of me so close I could feel his breath ghost my lips and instantly pain crashed through me, my stomach churning with the piercing stabs in my stomach.

I clenched into a fist and swung at his face, trying hard not to cry out from the pain in my stomach, but he was gone, already out the door with lightning demon speed and I was left alone with blood covering my blazer.

"Fucker," I hissed, clasping my hand around the five stab wounds in my stomach and taking it off to see the dark crimson blood. Five stab wounds, five clawed fingers. He was definitely a demon.

And he was definitely right. I would talk to him when he came back, but my words would be more appropriate coming from the barrel of my gun.

Bastard was going to be dead. Soon.

Just as I took a step to exit the school, the bell rang.

Motherfucker was right.

* * *

My car graciously purred as I pulled into the parking lot of a small Bed and Breakfast a few minutes away from Nobleton. It was fancier than what I was used to, but there wasn't exactly a lot of choice coming from a town that had a population of less than four-thousand. I pulled the tarp over the car like I always did out of habit and then jingled the keys as I made my way into the room. I carefully stepped over the salt lines upon entrance, and breathed a painful sigh of relief when I finally made it inside. My duffel bag with all of my stuff was already tucked in a corner by the door, just in case of an emergency and I reached inside to grab my mini medical kit.

The stupid bastard of a demon clawed me. Ripping off my shirt but leaving on my bra, I walked into the pearly white bathroom and started to clean myself up, patching up the claw marks until the blood was substantially less. He hadn't cut me deep, not enough for stitches, but enough to make me bleed plenty. He was so going to get it the next time I saw him.

I patched the wounds up individually and then grabbed a stretchable cloth to wrap around my midsection. No one was going to see me anyways, so I didn't bother putting a top over it. I put the kit back together and threw it into the duffel while I searched for my laptop, booting it up.

There were two things I needed to find out. One was _what the hell_ that amber-eyed bastard was. He wasn't human. He had to be demon. And yet, I shot him in the leg and he bled crimson. His eyes were _golden_. Neither of those characteristics remotely fit the mould of a demon from Hell. The second thing on my to do list was to find out where Ayumi Okamoto lived, where she worked, the route she would take home and tomorrow, I'd have to go down to the police station to figure out the car she drove and their theories on the case.

Being a demon slayer isn't fun, if you had any thoughts that claimed otherwise.

The wireless internet was quick and reliable and I was about to pull up some facts about the case I hadn't already known. After searching the town of Nobleton, I pulled up a site that actually listed all of the important sites. The only heavily populated business area is the Nobleton plaza that contained a grocery store, a bakery, a pizza shop, a couple clothing boutiques, a dance studio, a pharmacy and _thank god_ a Tim Horton's. Assuming that was the busiest place to work, I realized that would be another stop for tomorrow. Maybe a co-worker knew if something was going on.

More lying, more deceit, blah blah blah.

There wasn't any information on the car she drove, which was strange considering it was obviously missing. There was nothing stated about an abandoned car, no evidence was found from it. But it had to be somewhere. The poor girl's home was at Weston and the Fifteenth, which would explain why she would take a side-road home rather than a major one. Still, several things didn't make sense and I wouldn't be settled until I found them out. A demon was definitely running loose and more often than not, they always kill again.

Unlike my little freak show of a friend. Not demon but not human was definitely something that was tripping me out. I tried doing some research but hardly anything came up on golden eyed demons.

Nothing.

Nada.

Zip.

My life in a nutshell.

I called for a pizza from the shop in town, asking for delivery while I continued to work on my research. The thing about demons is this: humans don't think they're real. The ones that do are either like me, or insane. It just so happens that the only ones who put up demon information are the insane ones or the ones actually just interested in the myth. Trying to get knowledge is like pulling out my own teeth – yeah, sucks doesn't it?

Thirty minutes passed and I was still on my computer, reading the black typed letters rapidly on my screen when there was a knock on the door. Figuring it was the pizza deliverer I grabbed some cash that I hustled from a couple guys playing pool and made my way over to my dresser to grab a t-shirt.

The door was knocked on once more, but this time, it shook so hard the wood almost came off of the frame. Instinct kicking in, I lunged for my silver gun instead of my shirt and called "coming, coming!" in a voice that mocked laziness. I approached the door slowly, aiming to look through the peep-hole to see who was outside.

No one.

There was no one at my door.

Now, you see, this is why people get so confused. There's a loud, obnoxious knocking at the door and when you get there, no one's in sight. Humans would close the door, confused and sometimes frightened, but then go back to watching television and forget about it.

I, on the other hand, flick off the safety and prepare to kill.

Instantly grabbing at the door handle, I yanked the door open and took quick even steps into the hallway, doing a full one-hundred and eighty with my gun.

"Boo."

I didn't jump, but it took everything I had to not shoot right then and there. The little bastard was back.

"What the _fuck_ are you doing here?" I whispered, holding my gun at his face.

The demon rolled his golden eyes. "That's not important. What is important is that one of the cleaning ladies is coming down the hall and she'll be very upset if she sees you with that gun pointed at my head. There will probably be cops and–"

"Get inside _now_," I ordered, never lowering my gun. I, too, heard the light footsteps coming down the carpeted flooring and knew it would be only moments before she arrived. "I said _now_."

Smirking, the demon stepped inside my room, waiting until I got in and closed the door before speaking. "Do you like running around in just a bra? I'm just asking because that's probably not a good thing when you're firing a gun that pops out scalding hot bullet casings."

"I've felt worse," I muttered, actually embarrassed because he was seeing me in just a bra. I don't do embarrassed. I don't do blushing.

But oh, so help me, I felt the heat start to rise. Why, universe? Why?

The demon looked away, almost modestly and walked to the other side of the bedroom. "I'll stay over here so you can change," he offered, peering out the curtained window. "Wow, it's actually starting to get dark. It's pretty late, huh?"

I still hadn't moved. Was this a _joke_? He somehow managed to track me back to my place, decided to show up now of all times, then was modest enough to look away so I could change and then commented on the time of day? Was he on _crack_? "What are you?" I asked, unsure if I should actually take him up on his offer. It would be stupid and rash and it shouldn't happen, because it would only take a millisecond for him to attack and kill me – assuming he was a demon.

"Why don't you get dressed while I tell you?" he offered again, shrugging his shoulders with his back still turned from me. "If I wanted to kill you, I could've done it at least three times by now, probably more since I've been watching you for the past couple days. I'm not going to hurt you."

"Asshole, how do you explain slicing me with your claws?" I spat, flexing my stomach automatically and feeling the burn.

He actually laughed. "Oh, I was just trying to fuck with you. Seriously, it's obvious you're so conflicted about what I am. Demon or human or some other weird being. Your face looks hilarious when you're confused." He laughed again, like it was some personal inside joke.

I obviously wasn't in on it.

Regardless, I figured that he was right. Without my sensor picking up his reading, it would've been easy for him to track me, even though I'm one of the hardest people in the world to find. Slowly putting the gun down on my dresser, I grabbed the t-shirt I had been originally aiming for and slid it on, my hand automatically reaching for my gun when it made it through the sleeve.

The demon hadn't moved a muscle.

Still cautious, but feeling slightly secure, I thumbed the safety back on but held it in my hands. "You can turn around now," I said; my voice oddly quiet. Something weird was going on and I didn't know what to make of any of it. Some crazy demon that follows me and hurts me but says he wants to talk... I must be finally losing it. The universe must be having one hell of a laugh at my expense.

"Wow, you're slower than I thought wench," the demon commented, smirking at me stupidly. "Anyways, I'll keep up my end. My name is Inuyasha. The reason you can't sense me is because I'm a half-breed; a half-human, half-demon hybrid. And I want you to be my mentor. You know, like, teach me everything you know?"

Losing it? Nope. Try _lost it_.

* * *

**A couple things have come to my attention:**

**One: Instead of what I usually do, which is set myself a specific limit that I cannot pass or must reach (e.g. all chapters must be seven pages long), this story will be whatever the hell I want. It's just like that, so while this chapter was fairly short, the next will be pretty long. Microsoft 2007 is weird with the spacing, so what I think is 8 pages is barely 7. Sorry!**

**Two: RELIGION. This is going to suck to explain. I will not declare what religion I follow and honestly, I don't need to know yours. However, this story goes into a lot about Heaven and Hell. For this story, I will mainly use nicknames like "Upstairs", "Downstairs", the "Big Man" and the "Devil" and so on. None of this is to be offensive. Kagome's character will be further explored next chapter, but because of the plot, I need to state that anything that is written for this is not meant in any way to be offensive. I've already had one personal message complaining about the potential for problems. I know. For this story, I will use the idea of God, the Devil, Heaven and Hell. This is not necessarily what I believe in and this is not necessarily what you believe in. It's just something that has to be explained loosely. I'm going to try to avoid offensive comments but there will be characters that don't believe, do believe, etc. Sorry this is long. And boring. But I thought it needed to be said before I was being flamed for choosing one religion over the other and saying one was better than the other. I'm not. End of story. Thank you :)**

**As always, let me know of any errors or what you think. Thank you!**


	3. If You're Lucky

**What's Kagome missing when she looks at our half-demon friend?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

* * *

**How To Kill Me**

**Chapter Three: If You're Lucky**

* * *

"_I started running but there's nowhere to run to. I sat down on the street, took a look at myself. Said, 'where you going when you know the world is heading for hell?'"_

_-How Far We've Come, Matchbox 20_

* * *

"Come again?" I asked, wondering if I really should just shoot him. Or better yet, purify him. Why hadn't I done that already?

"My name," the demon said with deliberate slowness, "is Inuyasha. I'm a half-breed. I want you to teach me."

I still couldn't wrap my head around the last part. Or the middle part, for that matter.

"Wow wench. I understand if you're a bit distracted by my good looks but seriously, get a grip. I didn't think that you would be this slow to catch on."

"Oh shut the hell up," I snapped, folding my arms across my chest. "Firstly, I want to deal with this half-breed business. You're a half-_demon_?"

You may be surprised by the fact that I've been demon slaying for three years and have not yet come across a half-breed. Strange? Well you may think so. I don't strictly because _they don't exist_. Period. End of story. They just don't, and I'll give you one reason why:

The only demons that actually produce what it takes to make a baby demon are Incubi, and there's a lot of sexual education in there that I would really rather not discuss. The basic bird's and bee's tale of it is that an Incubus is actually a Succubus – they can change from male to female form interchangeably. In order to create a child, first the demon must present itself as a woman, and while in the act takes the sperm of the male human. That same sperm is actually what an Incubus ejects when having intercourse with a human female. Therefore, the sperm is _always_ human but it's just being borrowed by the demon. Therefore, half-breeds are not possible. See? I _really_ didn't want to go into that. The only way a half-demon, like what's-his-face could be born, is if a demon _somehow_ transferred DNA by other means. And I'll leave that up to your imagination.

"That's what I've been telling you," he said, shaking his head. "I'm half-dog demon and half-human."

"You don't look like a dog, Inu...uh," I drifted off, closing my eyes so not to snap. This, literally, went against _everything_ I knew. So if Inu-whatever-his-name was real and in existence, then...how many other half-demons were there?

"Hopefully, or else the spell would be useless," the half-demon commented. "And it's _Inuyasha_. Say it with me."

"I know how to say your name!" I growled. "Shut up! Can you be quiet for just a moment?"

He rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, but remained silent anyways.

"What spell?" I asked, taking things step by step. I would deal with the whole "teaching" business later. I rubbed my temples in slow circles, wishing the pain away... Far, far away...

Inuyasha smirked. "It's a secret, but if you're lucky I'll show you sometime."

I looked him up and down, which only spread his grin wider but I didn't particularly care. He looked...normal, which the exception of silver hair and amber eyes. He was at least six feet, but probably a couple inches taller than that. Clearly muscular and very strong, but he was half-demon so that was to be expected, I assume. Large amber eyes that really stood out on his tanned face watched me while I continued my search. His silver hair was like a waterfall of diamonds and I had the most incredible urge to touch it. It looked so soft.

Wow. I need to get laid.

"How do you explain the silver hair and amber eyes? To other humans, I mean," I asked, curious.

He shrugged. "It's not that hard. Hair dye and colour contacts are usually the explanation. I'm not exactly social though."

I nodded, as if all of this made perfect sense. It didn't, obviously, but pretending that it did _slightly_ made me feel better. Slightly. "And you said something about me teaching you...?"

"Yeah, is that really so hard to understand?" Inuyasha asked. He took a couple steps closer, forcing my hand to lightly rest above the safety, just in case.

"Well, considering the only people that can kill demons are those chosen with holy powers then yeah, it is hard to understand." I thought it was as clear as day. I kill demons because I can send them to Hell where their soul would rot for all of eternity. Demons don't kill other demons are far as I'm concerned. Usually if two demons randomly meet up and I'm in the vicinity, they both tag team and come after me. I don't know about their code of conduct, but it seems to be centrally based around the "Kill Kagome" rule.

"Can humans kill each other? Well, demons can too," Inuyasha commented, suddenly leaping onto the queen bed and resting his head on his folded hands. "And I want to kill demons."

I stared at him. Just...stared.

My life had turned upside down in a matter of seconds. A half-demon existed. A half-demon wanted to learn from me. A half-demon wanted to kill other demons. Uh, fuck my life anyone?

"I'm really not understanding," I said slowly, shaking my head. "I'm sorry if you perceive this as _slow_ but the entire concept is new to me. Demons killing other demons? That's not right in my book, mainly because they only kill humans. What makes you so different?"

Inuyasha smirked at me again, shrugging his shoulders and moving his amber orbs to the ceiling. "It's personal."

"Personal my ass," I muttered.

"Think what you want wench, but this is what I'm offering. I can help you kill demons. You can teach me how. End of story. We tag team and rid the world of evil, how's that?"

"Um, hold on," I said, waving a finger at him. Then, I sneezed, "_Bullshit_."

Inuyasha scoffed, looking at me again. "You're subtle. Look, I'm not really asking for much. I just want to learn. I'm not going to kill you. You could purify me in seconds, even while mid-attack."

"That's a lie," I pointed out instantly, coming closer to the bed so that my knees rested on the edge. "I can't purify you. If I could, you wouldn't get this close and comfortable."

"It could just be my personality," Inuyasha retorted snidely, rolling his eyes. "Seriously, though, you can. Trust me."

"Want to try that again? Do you think I'm _stupid_?" I asked. "If _salt_ does nothing to you then I sure as hell won't." Salt is a natural deterrent for demons. They can't cross it. Something about it being pure and demons not being pure...blah blah blah blah blah. Anyways, I always outline my room in salt. No window, closet, door exists without a salt line around it. Just in case. He passed the salt lines.

For a second, Inuyasha's eyes went wide and he immediately sat up, looking around the room. It was my turn to smirk now. I had him, the bastard. "Salt should repel your ass," I explained smoothly, walking around to the side of the bed, coming even closer. "Salt can't differentiate between full-demon and half-demon, so... Want to try that with me again?"

Inuyasha frowned, the second time I had ever seen him so unhappy. The first time was when I shot him in the leg. "Son of a bitch."

"Technically," I started, "that would be _you_."

Inuyasha gave me a dirty glare, his clawed hands reaching up towards my face. I didn't falter though, watching as he slowly lowered it to my abdomen where the bandage was. "I could really hurt you, you know?"

"But you wouldn't," I replied smoothly, smiling wickedly. "You need me. I don't know for what, or why, but you need me. You're a dirty, lying, scumbag of a bastard to use me for some purpose of your own, but... Maybe I'll give you a chance. I'll think about it."

I watched the expression on his face remain a stone, while his amber eyes flickered crazily. It was true, the idea that the eyes were the pathway to the soul. Not for everyone, but for most. Inuyasha was one of those people.

"On one condition," I added, before he could agree.

"Name it."

"You don't go anywhere near the weapons. You go near them, I shoot you in the face and whatever purpose you think you have in life is over. Got it?"

Inuyasha smirked. "You're one fucked up wench. Such a condition for only _thinking_ about it."

"Join the club dog-boy. Now get out of my room."

Inuyasha nodded, leaping off of the bed and at the doorway in moments. He looked at me, for a moment his expression unreadable, until he smirked. He flipped his hand up and flashed a twenty that had been on my dresser for the pizza. In one smooth motion, he opened the door and startled a poor teenage delivery boy.

"Hi, uh, your total is–" the boy started but Inuyasha threw the bill in his hands and ripped the pizza box away.

"Keep the change," Inuyasha said cheerily and then slammed the door. "Well, now that you have dinner it would be rude to usher me out."

"Out!" I ordered, pointing towards the door.

Inuyasha scowled, smelling the pizza with long sniffs and then throwing it carelessly onto the bed right beside me. "Wench, I'll be seeing you."

I nodded and watched as he opened the door and started to exit. Hey, he actually listened!

"Good boy!" I yelled, clapping my hands. "Go mat! Go mat! Stay! Good boy!" No, I'm not insane, thank you very much. Just working out a theory.

Inuyasha whipped through the door at an unexpected speed, hurtling towards me with his claws ready. But I was ready. My gun was already in my hands, the barrel directed at the centre of his forehead. "Bad dog," I reprimanded, smilingly wickedly.

"I'm going to fucking _ruin_ you," Inuyasha growled, but I just kept grinning.

At least now I knew how to piss him off.

* * *

I hated mornings. With a passion.

A passion of hatred.

"Go away light," I grumbled, smothering my head into the fluffy pillows. This was by far one of the better places I had stayed in a while. I usually hid out in cheap motels and dirty rooms but this... This place was the lap of luxury, it was. The mattress was soft and the pillows were like clouds.

Okay, so maybe I really needed my own room, but I had left that behind a long time ago.

"Wench, you are never going to solve anything by staying in bed."

Why me? Why my life?

Instinct took over and my hand was under my pillow in seconds, grabbing the gun that always hid there and pulling it out towards the door.

Inuyasha smirked. "Not bad."

"Fuck you," I spat dryly; my voice too groggy to sound in any way menacing. Why in god's name was he in here? How did he get in? Who the _hell_ did he think he was? "Who the _hell_ do you think you are?" I repeated, only this time out loud.

"I thought you'd be up already. Don't you have a demon to hunt?" Inuyasha asked, leaning sideways on the closed door. He must have picked the lock, that son of a bitch. If I didn't hear... I was definitely losing my touch. I hadn't realized how much I relied on my demon sensor until now.

I groaned, dropping my arm and thumbing the safety back on so not to blow my own head off. I relaxed back into the mattress. "Another five minutes."

Inuyasha probably did something stupid like roll his eyes, but I was too busy ignoring him. If you don't see it, it's not really there. It's not really there... I could feel sleep start to come back. I vaguely noticed in the back of my mind that I wasn't remotely worried about my random half-demon visitor. I wonder why...

"Wench, I swear to god," Inuyasha muttered, snapping me out of my daze. I mumbled a bit, still trying to block out his presence when all of a sudden, a chill wrapped around my body and I screamed. He pulled off the fucking covers! He pulled away all the warmth and the only thing that was blocking my barely covered–

"What the hell?" Inuyasha asked, instantly closing his eyes and turning away. "You're not _dressed_?"

"Get out!" I yelled, yanking the covers back around myself. "Get out _now_!"

Goddammit. Of everything that could happen he would pull off the covers on my bed. Okay, yeah, I'm not dressed. But I live alone! I've been on my own for three years! I can sleep however I want and if this idiot hadn't been so dumb... Come on. Sleeping with only a t-shirt is the only way to have a good night sleep. Admit it.

"You are more difficult than I thought you'd be," Inuyasha grumbled. He was clearly unhappy with the start of our working relationship.

"Right back at ya," I snapped, wishing that my vision was like Superman's and that I could burn a hole in the back of his head. "Out."

Grudgingly he left, and I made a mental note to kill him. Like seriously,_ what the hell_? He just barged into my room by picking the lock or something stupid like that and then in a flourish, removed my covers! I'm undressed! Hello, earth to Inuyasha, _you don't do that!_

The ramblings in my head only made me angrier, but I used it to fuel me. What made me agree to even think about this is still unknown to me. I just did it. And now I can't take it back. If there's one thing in my life that keeps me sane, it's my word. I now have to seriously consider having him tag along.

Unfortunately for me.

I was dressed and ready in seconds, just like I was every morning. I finished in the bathroom and everything was shoved into my duffel bag ready to go. I walked out into the hall, noticing that Inuyasha was grumpily waiting against the doorframe.

"Took you long enough," he complained.

"Bite me."

"Bitchy."

I flipped him off and continued towards the front. Last night I had paid them in full until this morning, expecting something stupid to happen. Not Inuyasha-picks-the-lock-on-my-door-and-rips-off-the-covers stupid. But close enough. "We have a lot to do, so we should hurry."

We walked together out the front doors and to the parking lot where my covered car waited. In a few smooth motions I unclipped the latches and then yanked it off, popping the lid of the trunk in doing so.

Inuyasha whistled. "This is your car? You don't even have a job."

"There are many other ways to get money," I answered automatically, not realizing the possible meaning until after he gave me a curious expression. "Oh god no. I play pool, you know, at bars? Guys never think a tipsy girl that they want in their pants is going to win. Especially when I play for money and they play for sex."

"So you do–" Inuyasha started but I cut him off with a wave of my hand.

"No. I always win. And I usually win big. I always make them up the ante to a couple hundred. I don't just put out, you know."

"Whatever, wench. Where are we going?" Inuyasha asked; his voice slightly gruffer than it needed to be. I didn't really pay much attention though. He was weird in general.

"The Nobleton plaza first and then the police station," I said, slamming the trunk closed and getting in the front seat. Inuyasha stared at me for a bit, obviously debating what to do. He eyed the passenger seat before looking at me hopefully. I sighed. "Get in."

Inuyasha was actually in the car so fast, I jumped a bit when the passenger door slammed shut. He smirked. "Startle you wench?"

"Shut up, dog boy. Let's just get this day over with. I want this thing dead by tonight and then tomorrow we'll have a little road trip," I said, starting the car and peeling out of the lot.

Inuyasha instantly looked cautious. "Why?"

I didn't answer, instead looking in my rear-view mirror and sighing. "I love small towns. Not _this_ small mind you, but still. They're nice, don't you think?" I have no clue why I shared that with him. Why did I just share that with him? Why? Am I stupid?!

"Sure, wench. Just look at the road while you drive, will ya?" Inuyasha retorted, leaning back lazily in the seat. He didn't even have his seatbelt on.

Seeing the red light ahead of me, I purposely waited until the very end to slam my brake and send him flying forwards. He caught himself, to my amazement, but I expected as much since he was a half-demon. Demons had incredible reaction times. Incredible everything pretty much.

He glared at me. "Wench."

"Oh suck it, dog boy," I muttered with a smile and then floored the gas when the light turned green, just to prove my point a little more.

* * *

"So that's your strategy," Inuyasha said immediately, closing in on me once I parked the car in the lot beside that of the police station. He was actually inches away from my face. No such thing as a personal bubble anymore. "You're going to lie and pretend to be someone who you really aren't."

"Duh," I answered. We had just left the Nobleton plaza about half an hour ago, and now we were sitting in a small parking lot with a printer store as its main feature. We were three minutes away walking distance from the York Regional Police Station that dealt with crime in the King Township area. What I found quite humorous was the fact that Nobleton's police station was a solid thirty minutes away from the heart of it.

Yeah. You can totally rely on an eight minute response time. Go team.

"How is it even going to work?" Inuyasha asked, eyeing me suspiciously. "You can't just walk in there and say, 'FBI, give me all the information I want'."

I rolled my eyes. "In case you didn't know – which you obviously don't – there is no FBI in Canada. The closest you're going to get to that level is the RCMP."

"A Mountie?" Inuyasha scoffed. "Seriously? How do these people feel safe?"

"Canadians are different from America dog boy, now listen up. You're going to get out of the car so I can change and then you're going to wait here." I opened the driver's door and got out, popping the trunk and rifling through my vacuum-packed bags. Inuyasha quickly followed behind, staring at me.

"What are those?"

I sighed. This was ridiculous. How was I ever going to get work done? "These are my costumes, you could say. Business suits, forensic suits, nun outfit, a couple sexy dresses... Anything I could possibly need to dress in to get the job done." I found the bag I was looking for and pulled out my mini-vac, hauling it to the front of my car where an outlet was and plugged it in. It took only seconds for me to blow up the bag and remove my clothing. Putting everything back, Inuyasha watched me in stunned silence. I sighed again. "What now?"

"You go to a lot of trouble, eh wench?"

"Like you said, I can't just go in there, say 'FBI, give me all the information I want' and actually get it. I have to act." I got back into the front seat and waved goodbye at him, telling him to go for a walk so I could change. I did so quickly, used to changing in cramped situations and when I was done, threw my clothes behind me. I reached into the console and lifted the bottom out, opening a secret section where all of my various fake Ids and badges were. Finding the one I wanted, I pocketed it and got out, whistling.

"You done yet wench?" Inuyasha hollered, his back still turned.

"Why do you think I was whistling dog boy?"

Inuyasha snarled at me but came anyways, standing beside me quicker than humanly possible. I was slightly startled, not used to the fact that I wasn't trying to _kill_ the superfast thing at my side. The whole idea of him being in the car with me and talking to me was startling as it was.

"I just need one more thing," I said thoughtfully, remembering another fact. I opened my trunk and tossed back the various bags to open my secret compartment. Inuyasha was close behind me, too close, and I spun around with my gun in hand and the barrel at his head.

Inuyasha smirked. "Yeah, yeah. Stay away from the weapons. Got it." He took a couple steps back but continued to watch me as I exchanged my weapon of choice and grabbed a Glock, checking to make sure everything was sound.

"Why the switch?" my half-demon companion asked, and I could hear how genuinely curious he was.

Yeah. Okay. He was a royal pain in the ass already. Questions every five seconds made me feel like a friggen mother, which was _so_ not what I needed right now. I rolled my head and holstered the weapon. "My gun is custom made. It was done under the table in the States, so it's not exactly police standard," I explained. "Glocks are usually the weapon of choice, sometimes Smith and Wesson."

I shut the trunk and locked the car, sliding the keys down my shirt to hide them under my bra. With the baggy but pressed shirt I was wearing, no one would be able to tell. I gave him a smile and waved. "I'll be back around an hour. You can either wait by the car or go for a walk. Just be here when I get back."

"You mean I can't actually sit in the car?" Inuyasha whined, looking honestly unhappy.

"That would mean I have to give you the keys which is bad for _several_ reasons, like access to my weapons, and stealing my car and so on. So no, you can't."

I continued to walk down the street, but when I was just barely in earshot, Inuyasha shouted at me. I chose to ignore him, blaming my ignorance on my poor human hearing when all of a sudden, the wind rushed by me and I spun, my fist ready by my head. I knew it was him, but I still didn't fully trust him. I had no reason to.

"You were ignoring me," Inuyasha complained, crossing his arms and standing only a foot away.

"I'm sorry, had you called?" I asked, feigning innocence.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I just had one more question."

Figures. Bloody figures. "What?" I asked, exasperated. This must be a Guinness world record or _something_ for most questions in an hour.

"How do you do it?" he asked; his voice low. "How do you get up every day, knowing that your life is crappy and long and seemingly endless, and go kill demons? What makes you do it?"

I blinked a couple times, taken aback by how absolutely blunt he was. Crappy, long and endless life? Yeah, that's how it could be described, but I didn't want to. I had to have some hope that it would end some day. All of the Chosen had their powers cut off eventually, and with it, their danger from demons. My time would come too.

Working my lips into a tight line, I shrugged. "Where do you go when the world is headed for hell?" I asked. "My life isn't perfect. I've already killed one-hundred demons, which is the usual limit for those with holy powers but... I'm still here, still with powers and still kicking. There has to be a reason, I have to believe that there's a reason..." I trailed off because I had already shared way too much. He _really_ needed to stop asking questions and I _really_ needed to stop being so mushy. Maybe it was the deprivation from company that made me do it. I have been alone for three years.

"Yeah," Inuyasha nodded and while I walked away, I swore I heard him say, "If you're lucky."

* * *

**See? I'm updating a bit faster! My week of hell is OVER! WOO! I never thought I'd be so excited for exams (because that means an entire month off!).**

**Please let me know what you think, as always!**


	4. Let's Haul Ass

**This story is seriously causing me problems. It's been stuck in my head for the past couple weeks, making all of my other stories impossible to right. Target Locked will be up soon hopefully!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Four: Let's Haul Ass**

* * *

"'_You're crazy for believing, you'll ever leave the ground.' He said, 'Only angels know how to fly.' And with a broken wing, she still sings. She keeps an eye on the sky. With a broken wing, she carries her dreams. Man, you ought to see her fly."_

_-Broken Wing, Martina McBride_

* * *

The police station was a lot bigger than I had originally thought. I guess when one police station looks over an entire township, plus a couple other towns, it gets to be a bit big. My black uniform let me blend in completely, the badge shining and bright and no one questioned or doubted me as I entered the building, scanning the room for exit points, the basic layout of the building, and so on. It was better to be prepared than not prepared at all. Walking down the hall, I passed a young woman who looked like a sort of secretary, and I lightly touched her arm.

"Sorry, but do you know where Officer Kuranosuke is?"

For a moment, the woman eyed me up and down, obviously confused since she never saw my face before. It took her a couple seconds, her lips pursed, before my uniform and badge were enough evidence and she turned to face a long hallway. "His office – second on the left."

"Thank you," I replied and then hurried down the hall, trying not to draw too much attention to myself. I took hardly a second to settle my breathing before knocking on the door.

A male voice called me in and I entered, looking as brisk as possible. "Officer Kuranosuke, I'm Senior Inspector Hitomi Komikasa. I was informed recently that you'd be in need of my services on the Okamoto case."

Tall and fairly lanky, Officer Kuranosuke stood up and frowned. "I don't recall informing anyone."

"Oh, you're not the one that contacted me," I answered simply, meaning to sound blunt and fairly annoyed. I gave him a look with my eyes, darting them to where the captain's office was. Okay, so that's pretty cruel to make a man question his ability, or make a man think his boss questions his ability, but it was necessary. "So before I ask for the case files, I want to hear your take on this whole mess."

"Hold on, hold on," Kuranosuke interrupted, waving his hands. "Let me see some identification. I have never seen you before."

I rolled my eyes and sighed. "Look, the OPP is a much bigger pond than just your district, but if you insist. I'm sure Totosai won't be too pleased though."

Totosai Yanami was the captain of this police force. _This_ is why research is necessary.

Suddenly nervous, Kuranosuke took my identification wallet and flipped through it, taking note of the badge and the ID card. Handing it back, he nodded. "Sorry about that, I just swore I've never seen you before."

Curtly I shrugged. "Understandable. Now can we move on please? What's your take?"

Sitting back down in his chair, Kuranosuke sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I wish I knew. The case is practically cold and she's only been dead a few days. Forensics couldn't find a thing. If her body hadn't been turned to stone, I would say it was just an accident and she went off the road late at night. Maybe she hit something and jolted her brain... Got out of the car and when the membrane finally snapped she died. It's happened."

"But her body is stone," I added. "May I see the case files?"

Hesitating only slightly, Kuranosuke searched through several on his desk and then handed me a paper-filled beige file. I read it over, trying to piece together any parts I hadn't already known. I was only a skimmed paragraph in when something popped into my head. "Did you ever find the car?"

Kuranosuke seemed to look at me even more suspiciously, if that was even possible. "It was never lost."

Ah shit. "Where is it? With forensics?"

Shaking his head, the officer sighed. "They already went over it with a fine tooth comb. There was nothing. It's in the impound lot."

I skipped through the file, trying to find the paperwork on the car and the transfer. Where the car was currently would be a good place for me to start my own little investigation. Going through the report next, I frowned. "The rear-view mirror was removed?"

"Torn right off," Kuranosuke agreed, folding his hands on top of the desk. "No one has any idea how it happened. Nothing else was damaged or remotely different in the car."

"And the parents are positive it wasn't like that when she left for work," I added.

Kuranosuke nodded. "None if it makes sense. This entire case is going down the shitter and there're no leads, no suspects and no witnesses. I don't know what I'm even going to say to the parents."

Remembering the older couple – so ragged and tired at the school memorial – made me feel almost heartbroken. They didn't deserve this. No parents deserved this.

"The girl lived in Nobleton?" I asked, although I already knew the answer.

"Right on the border of King City and Nobleton, along Weston Road, actually. She worked in Nobleton."

I nodded, knowledge of the car's location floating through my head and the new piece of information about the rear-view mirror. Slowly, my mind started to work out the kinks and the puzzle started to slide into place. I needed to look at the car to confirm my suspicions though.

"I think I should check out the scene. I didn't really have time to do it beforehand, if you know what I mean," I said, implying yet again about the whole boss-thinks-he's-incompetent issue. Yes, cruel. But yes, it works.

Kuranosuke's eyes flashed, though he nodded. "Do you know where it is?"

I grabbed a notepad off his desk, noticing his instant discomfort, and scribbled down the area located on the preliminary investigative report. I stood up and held my arm out, shaking his hand and giving him a small smile. "How late are you going to be here?"

"Late enough," Kuranosuke replied, shrugging.

I finished up with him as quickly as possible, avoiding the possibility of exchanging numbers and getting away like a bat out of hell. The moment I was out of eye shot I ran, sprinting to my car and whistling as loud as possible. Inuyasha better hurry his ass or so help me god...

"Chill out wench. I'm right here," Inuyasha commented dryly, his finger poking my head forcing me to wheel around and punch him in the face. Oh. Damn.

"I'm sorry!" I said immediately, biting my lower lip and trying to get closer to him. "You came up from behind and I thought you were out peeing on a bush or something..."

"I'm not a fucking dog, wench, I'm a dog _demon_. It's totally different!" he shouted, covering his bleeding noise with his hand. It struck me again just how odd it was so see red blood pooling out of something that obviously wasn't human – or completely human.

"Okay, well, I'm not used to being around others so when you touched me it was more or less automatic reaction to–"

"_BREAK MY FUCKING NOSE_?" he yelled, growling at me fiercely.

I rolled my eyes. "You're a half-demon. Your nose is not broken. Now let's haul ass. We need to get to the impound lot before they suspect me."

"What? You're pretty costume didn't work?" Inuyasha commented snidely at me.

Wow. Anger management, much? "It did, as a matter of fact. But the officer was totally a pansy and just wouldn't accept my presence. Anyways, we need to hurry. I think I know what's going on." Jumping into the car and starting it up, I left on my police outfit because I had little time to change. If my suspicions about Officer Kuranosuke were correct, it wouldn't be long before he talked to his boss about ways for him to _improve_. Men.

We drove for what seemed to be the longest thirty minutes of my life.

"So, what did you do?"

"What do you mean, what did I do?" I asked, glancing over at his curious gaze.

Inuyasha growled. "Don't play dumb. How did you convince them? If I'm going to help you, you'll have to teach me, you know."

"If being the operative word," I muttered quietly under my breath, but the instant hardening of his eyes told me he still heard. "It's not that hard, you just need to understand the order and system of things. I always enter a building knowing what the schematics are. I need to know exits, stairways, places to hide and so on. If I don't have time, I do a quick scan within the building before drawing attention to myself. This is just precautionary, because if something goes wrong you need to get out fast. Trust me when I say you do _not_ want twenty cops chasing you down." I laugh because it's funny remembering the good old times when I was first learning to live on my own. There aren't many of them to laugh at.

"Usually with the police, you want to know who you're dealing with. Other businesses vary obviously. A corporation has several levels of management and you need to see the right person in order to get the job done correctly and without suspicion. With the police, you act like a cop. You talk, walk and ask questions like they do. If they ask for your badge, you hassle them about their stupidity while you do it. You ask questions but give feedback. And you _never_ give any information about yourself away. Ever. A fake name maybe, but nothing else."

"Can I see your badge?" Inuyasha asked, a smirk playing at his lips. Maybe he thought it would be funny if I was actually a cop.

Quickly pulling it out the small ID folder, I handed it to him and turned my attention back to driving. We were almost there, but the closer we got, the more worried I became.

"Wow, this actually looks like you," Inuyasha astonished and I rolled my eyes.

"Idiot, it _is_ me."

Inuyasha frowned and threw the folder at my head. Immaturity. "How is that possible?"

"I have contacts. Open the console, pull at the bottom of it until it lifts and look in there. It's a secret compartment."

It only took a couple minutes before Inuyasha was cackling like a maniac, going through every one of my pictures that were various IDs. "Health Inspector? Nurse? State Police? Talent Agent? FBI? I thought they didn't work in Canada?"

"I'm mostly in the States, but if I catch something up here, I usually make the–"

Inuyasha interrupted me. "Holy shit, you look like such a hard ass. Could you look _any_ unhappier?" He was referring to one of my fake passports where you couldn't smile. It just so happened that the night before I had two hours of sleep and a black eye. Real photogenic.

"Bite me, dog boy," I hissed, sending him a sharp glare. "And put them back. I need them all there so don't you even think of misplacing one or keeping one!"

Inuyasha pouted and while I stole another glance at him I noticed that his silver hair pressed down at the top, like something was weighing it down or on top of it. I shook my head and continued to drive, nearly running a red light. When we finally made it to the address, I parked my car outside of the gate.

"Shit," I cursed. "I did not want to leave my vehicle in the open."

Inuyasha smirked for a moment. "This would be an advantage to having me around." Sliding out of the car before I could ask, the half-demon walked up to the locked gate and pulled at the numerous chains preventing an open entrance. Within seconds they all snapped, raining to the ground like silver droplets and then he turned, all smug and cocky. "See?" he mouthed and I shook my head.

I refuse to be impressed.

Revving the engine, I threatened to run him over.

Once we were inside the gate, I parked my car along with the others, knowing that the yellow paint and huge rims stood out like a sore thumb compared to all of the broken down crap-mobiles. "Let's hurry," I urged, double checking my Glock before searching around the lot for the Okamoto's vehicle. It wasn't too hard to find. In perfect condition, it stood out as well, the gleaming paint reflecting the sun as it hit high in the afternoon sky.

"What are we looking for?" Inuyasha asked, coming to my side as we approached the vehicle. "Anything special?"

"Broken glass or missing mirrors," I answered, pulling on the door which was locked. Peering from the outside, I noticed the rear-view mirror was indeed missing.

"Hey, wench–"

"_Kagome_–"

"Yeah, whatever. Look at the side mirror on your side; is it broken?"

He was right. It was broken. "It is," I answered, studying the web of shattered glass that barely kept it together. "The left side too?"

Inuyasha grunted something along the lines of a yes, and I thought about it, going through all of the demon lore I knew. There were a couple of demons that came to mind, but only one that would paralyze the body in such a way. "Alright, let's go."

Suddenly, Inuyasha was beside me, having leapt in one bound from the left side of the car to the right. It was unnerving when he did that, mainly because I wanted to go punch something. "Already? Why, what did it tell you?"

"I know what we're hunting," I replied, already stalking towards the car. "And I am not particularly pleased."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I'm the only demon you should be pleased to meet."

I gave him a doubtful look before continuing. "We need to find the closest isolated swamp or body of water in the Nobleton or King City area."

"Easy, Davis Park," Inuyasha answered. We were at the car and I had just unlocked it when he announced the information, startling me while he entered the passenger side of the car. It took me a moment before I got inside, disturbed by how fast he decided it.

"What makes you think there? How do you even know?" I asked.

Inuyasha smirked. "Oh don't be so vain. I didn't watch you _all_ the time and Nobleton is such as small town. I like to run around a lot and there's this park – Davis Park – right across from the Nobleton plaza. There's a small forest but it's really swampy in there, especially if you go off the path."

"Isolated and close to our victim," I murmured, piecing it together. I was startled to admit that I was _glad_ he was there. If he hadn't been, I would've been back in my room researching or out and about asking people for where they thought would be the most obvious place. With Inuyasha and his speed, he could search an area relatively quickly. "Good job," I said slowly, surprising myself with the bubbling emotion passing through me.

I knew that feeling: hope. It was something I couldn't get used to. I hoped that he would be good enough to keep around so I wouldn't be on my own and completely alone anymore. Hope wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but for me, it had the potential to make or break me.

I knew I was lonely. However, it never bothered me unless it was bluntly pointed out and I rarely had time to think about it while dodging attacks and hunting demons. If Inuyasha gave me hope that I wouldn't have to be alone, it would be like giving a drug addict a lifetime supply of the vice of choice and then when they were just _so close_ to consuming it... It all got taken away.

That was the most likely outcome and I had to stop myself from believing there was such a thing as hope.

"Eh, wench, are you there?"

Inuyasha's voice startled me out of my thoughts and I nodded, starting the car instantly. I sped out of the impound lot, watching the half-demon's face as it scrunched up. "You know that there were security cameras, right?"

I laughed. "Yeah. I also noticed that none of them were wired and therefore, they were just dummies."

Inuyasha smirked. "You're one crazy wench."

I didn't know how my statement had led him to that conclusion, but I let it go. "What do you know about Gorgons?"

Inuyasha almost choked and he looked at me with a startled expression. "You mean like the ugliest bitches ever? Snakes for hair? Is that what you're asking me about?"

Obviously he had not seen the rotting monkey demon I had wasted a few days ago. "Yeah, that's what I'm asking you about."

He stared at me a moment longer before turning his head to the window. "They're ugly. They're bitches. If you look at them you turn to stone because of the snakes in their hair... You can't seriously be thinking that _Medusa_ killed that girl?"

I rolled my eyes. "Not Medusa, dumbass, but her kind. Gorgons, they're called. Their habit is the ocean, but any body of water will do as long as they're isolated. It explains the broken mirrors and the ripped off rear-view mirror. It destroyed any risks of failure."

"Failure?" Inuyasha asked, both of his brows raised. "How can they fail?"

I smirked, driving faster towards Nobleton. We were far out of town and I needed to get back in time to kill it before daylight ran out. There would be no hope in hell of killing her in the pitch black of night. "You'll see," I answered cryptically, my smirk turning into a grin when my half-demon companion scowled.

"You're a pain in the ass," he muttered, leaning back in the leather seat and crossing his arms.

"Dog boy."

"Wench."

* * *

I stared at the little rock that had the words _Davis Park_ inscribed on it, and then the forest that lay just a kilometre away. "When you said _small_ forest, I didn't think you meant _practically non-existent_."

"Pain in the ass," Inuyasha grumbled, but I chose to ignore him. Again.

"Don't go far," I ordered, walking to my car and pulling the vacuum bag out of it, trading my OPP outfit for my usual attire. When I caught Inuyasha trying to sneak a glance at me, I threw a stick that was by my feet towards him. "Fetch. And while you do that, don't look at me you pig."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes before completely turning around and crossing his arms. "A dog or a fucking pig. Pick one," he quipped.

I was too busy trying to change in the front seat to say anything back. Finally sucking the air out of the bag and throwing it back into the trunk, I hauled the bland tarp over my baby and then made sure I had every Gorgon slaying tool I needed. "Here," I shouted, gaining Inuyasha's attention. I threw the object in my hands at him and he – impressively – caught it at the last second.

"A gu– What the hell is this?" he asked me, face contorted in confusion. "A mirror? We're going to slay a Gorgon with creepy snakes for hair who can turn people into stone and all you give me is a _mirror_? Do you want me dead?"

"You don't get weapons, remember? We're still not partners. And, here's a quick history lesson: Gorgon's are strictly female demons, based from either Hell or the sea. Their bodies are covered in scales, making virtually any knives useless and bullets, if they hit, almost worthless. The snakes on their heads are actually vipers and they are the reason that anyone that looks at a Gorgon turns to stone. Medusa is the ruler of Gorgons, and the reason people know about them, at least vaguely. She had two sisters who were immortal, but somehow Medusa remained mortal. She was decapitated, which caused her death."

"So we decapitate her with a mirror?" Inuyasha asked, looking extremely sceptical. "You've been killing demons a lot longer than me, but so far, I'm unimpressed and slightly worried at your methods."

"Would you shut up?" I asked, glaring at him.

Inuyasha growled low in his throat, but kept his mouth shut.

"Thank god. Continuing: we do not kill her by decapitating her because I have a much better weapon," I explained, wiggling the fingers on my hand. "However, we need to knock her out somehow so I can send her to Hell without turning to stone myself."

It must have finally clicked in Inuyasha's head because suddenly he was nodding eagerly. "If we look in a mirror, we won't look at her directly and then turn to stone."

"Well, that's what people _think_. If you still make eye contact, you turn to stone. How else do you think I'm going to trap our little Medusa? I need her to make eye contact with herself in the mirror and then, when she's paralyzed temporarily, I'll hopefully have enough time to send her ass back to Hell."

"Hopefully?" Inuyasha asked.

I shrugged. "Hopefully." I looked at the small path that weaved into the forest and gave Inuyasha a quick glance. "Where's this swamp you were talking about?"

"Right here," Inuyasha murmured, turning to the right of the path. "There are several, but the biggest one is right in there..." Instantly he froze, his entire body going stiff and he grabbed my upper arm tightly. "Something's wrong."

I tried to shake off his grip but he was far stronger than I had imagined. "What?" I hissed. I didn't feel a wind, but I swore the hair on the top of his head started to move like a gentle breeze passed by. But there was no breeze. Definitely losing it.

"I've been running through here a couple times, like I told you, but I've never before felt a demonic presence."

"You can sense them too?" I asked incredulously. This information would have been lovely to know before getting together. "Then why the hell did you suggest this forest and this swamp if you never felt a fucking presence before?"

Inuyasha used his other hand to wave me into silence and I stared holes into the back of his head. I wish. "Something is definitely here."

I nodded, still trying to shake my arm free of his tight grasp. "Isn't that a good thing?"

I caught the grimace on his face. "There is more than one. There are several Gorgons."

"Oh fucking lovely. Daisies in the fucking sunshine. Okay, new plan." I had to think quickly.

"Well, you better tell me what it is now. They know we're here," Inuyasha whispered, and I swore his grasp on my arm tightened even more – if that was possible.

"How many?"

"Five."

"FIVE?"

"Wait, two," he cut in and I sighed in relief. "More."

"SEVEN? Are you shitting me, dog boy because I will have you neutered faster than you can say _woof_."

"If we live, I'm going to kick your ass for saying that," Inuyasha hissed. "I'll kill you myself."

"So far, you're all bark and no bite," I shot back.

"Stop with the fucking puns, wench," Inuyasha snapped. "And tell me what the fuck we're going to do."

"Close your eyes."

"You fucking with me? Seven vengeful snake-headed bitches are coming at us and you want me to _close my eyes_?" Inuyasha demanded.

"Yes. You obviously have extrasensory hearing. When they come close enough, give me a signal and we'll flash the mirrors in front of us. That should knock off at least three of them and from there, you try fighting while I try purifying." It was the best thirty-second plan I had ever made.

"We're dead."

"Only if you roll over," I quipped, shutting my eyes tight and clutching the mirror to my side. The sun was just starting to sink behind the rooftops; the bungalow houses that lined the street showing off manicured lawns and impressive cars. There was still enough light for my plan to work, but the moment the sun disappeared and it became too dark for the Gorgons to register their appearance in the mirrors, we were actually fucked and could kiss our asses goodbye.

It felt like we were waiting forever.

"Are they coming?" I whispered and I could hear Inuyasha shift beside me, his body moving closer.

"Wait for it," Inuyasha answered and I did, my body shivering with anticipation.

Seven Gorgons could easily kill us. Since I was still undecided as to whether I wanted Inuyasha to stay with me as my evil-killing sidekick, I thought I should keep that information to myself. I didn't want him running with his proverbial tail between his legs. I should probably stop with all of my ridiculous puns.

My chances of living were non-existent. I should probably be praying instead.

"Now!" Inuyasha shouted and I shot my hand vertically in front of me, hoping, praying...

And that's when I felt the earth crumble beneath my feet.

* * *

**No one noticed what was missing from Inuyasha! I'm surprised. I swore there would be rabid comments on it. Hm... Maybe this chapter helped?**

**As always, leave a review and let me know what you think! It's early morning, I've been doing crazy amounts of exam studying (100 pages of reading a day equals, you guessed it, the death of my soul) so let me know of any mistakes to fix!**


	5. Screw Me Sideways

**Author's Note: **Remember the break "INUYASHA" signals a change towards his POV until the following scene break.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha or the song _Tiny Dancer_, by Elton John.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Five: Screw Me Sideways**

* * *

"_At the end of the world, or the last thing I see. You are never coming home, never coming home. Can I? Should I?"_

_-Ghost of You, My Chemical Romance_

* * *

"God-fucking-dammit Kagome!" Inuyasha cursed, and I vaguely wondered if that was the first time he had ever used my name. I couldn't remember, probably because a scaly hand was wrapped around my throat and hey, death was inevitable. Oh well.

Whoopsie daisies, as they all say.

It's not like this life was particularly swell. On that fateful, ironic bitch of a day – 06/06/06 – my life turned upside down. Yup, say bye-bye university. Bye-bye dreams. Bye-bye loving family, friends and possible future husband.

Hello death and company. I embrace you.

Three years of this shit. Three years of being punched, beaten and spat at. Three years of avoiding the cops, lying, cheating and deceiving. Three years of complete and utter loneliness. What was I going to miss? Hm. Nothing.

Final fucking answer.

Suddenly, the tightening around my throat seemed to stiffen, and I felt the scales glaze over to a cool sheen. Obviously, Gorgons weren't the brightest creatures ever created. This information could have been gathered due to the fact that they chose a mortal ruler instead of an immortal one (like, are you _stupid_?), but I always give the benefit of the doubt.

Eyes still shut, I punched my other hand up, the palm pressed tightly against the chest of the Gorgon frozen on top of me. I focused my energy, gathering the strength I had and felt the black heartbeat that seemed to pull towards my hand. Like static cling, it arched towards my flesh, tearing at the veins, the seams bursting every disease-filled cell in that despicable body. The heartbeat escalated. My palm burned. Without hesitating I snapped my hand into a fist, feeling the cut of the magic string that pulled on the heart and I knew it was over, knew the ugly bitch on top of me was in Hell.

I put the mirror I held in my hand in front of me and opened my eyes, using my peripherals to see around me. I couldn't see Inuyasha, but I could hear his cursing and grunting from far away. Quickly I scanned around, seeing three other Gorgons frozen in place. I ran to each of them, stumbling somewhat blindly as I instantly did to them what I did to the other Hell-bound bitch.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted, finishing the final one and feeling my head start to swirl. My nose was bleeding, that was for sure, but there was barely anything I could do about it. Use of my powers drained me and though I had never faced this many before at once, I had to hope that I could send them all to Hell before I passed out.

See. There's that damn word again: hope. Not looking good.

"Two more down here!" he yelled back, and I could hear him grunt in pain. "Fucking asshole bitch of an ugly motherfucker," he spat and I cringed. He was worse than me.

I ran with my head tilted and my mirror in front of me, trying to find a better way to run towards Inuyasha's rambling and the frozen bodies of the Gorgons. I found them both after almost tripping over the one and as soon as I was finished, I mentally counted how many more to go. The world seemed to be spinning at a pretty fast speed and my hands were shaking uncontrollably. It was almost impossible for my mirror to stay straight now.

Only one more.

"Motherfucker! Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, and I could tell from his pained expression that something really bad was happening.

Trying to gather the little strength I had left, I surged forwards, pinpointing where his voice had come from. "Where are you?"

His struggling grunts turned me around, and instantly I knew. In the mirror I could see silver hair covering dark green grass and I ran forward, jumping on top of the Gorgon and forcing my mirror in front of its eyes. Scaly hands grabbed my scalp and I screamed as claws ran their way down my skull. Warm liquid and a strong tingling sensation filled me, and it took everything I had not to let go.

The Gorgon screamed, falling backwards and landing on top of me with a thick thud. The breath knocked out of me, I struggled to regain air. My head was swimming in blood and my vision was seriously tampered with by black dots. I was starting to pass out. I knew it. I could feel the black mist start to lull forwards, threatening to take me over.

Before I knew it, the mirror smashed in my hands, pain shooting through my palm and I heard Inuyasha growl, the body of the Gorgon thrown off of me. I lifted my head, trying to make sense of where he was, what was happening. There was one Gorgon left and I needed to kill it now...before...before...

My head was so heavy and I staggered, rolling on my side before pushing myself up and almost crashing back down. Inuyasha was just ahead, his eyes slammed closed with his body weight holding the female demon down. She clawed and forced him to bleed, and I screamed, lunging at him, wrapping my arms around his body and slamming both of my palms on her chest. We were both mirror-less so I would have to do this the hard way.

Blood. Blood. So much blood. I kept trying to focus, to put pressure on my hands as I felt her heartbeat, the evil leaking through. Inuyasha growled, low and fierce and I knew how much he must be hurting, how much pain she was causing him. I needed to save him. I needed to stop this.

Now.

It happened so fast, I barely realized what went on. All of a sudden, the Gorgon screeched and my palms lifted from her chest. I could still feel the string, the connection from my palms to her heart and then... It was over. I fisted my hands, felt the blood pour over my fingers as the noises ended and I collapsed limply on Inuyasha's back.

"Oh good," I mumbled, feeling the dizziness hit me like a ton of bricks. The sun set, surrounding the park in darkness and I thought glumly to myself that I would never use the phrase _a walk in a park_ again. "Inu- Inuyasha... I'm going to pass out... So... Start the car and drive to... Drive to... Um... Fuck."

And I felt my lips moving, I heard my voice erupt from my throat, but I couldn't make out what I was saying. It was like being on autopilot; the body shutting down to the very basics and soon, the black dots got bigger and bigger, or they just multiplied faster and faster...

I was gone.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha panicked. "Kagome? Kagome! Wake up!" His calloused hands felt along her body, checking to see how badly she was damaged. Her nose was bleeding like a shit-storm and her hair was matted with crimson warmth. "Fuck, fuck, fuck," he repeated over and over, glancing quickly at the Gorgon that Kagome had just killed and then the girl he was focused on.

She had been talking to him. She wanted him to drive her to someplace safe. Well, where the hell was safe? A motel? Inuyasha had no idea what he was doing, but instantly he picked her up bridal style, careful to make sure her head rested against his chest and didn't loll in the air. He checked once more for the Gorgon, but somehow it was gone. Vanished.

"This is so fucking screwed up," he muttered to himself and then checking his surroundings, he walked to the Corvette. He had to lay the demon slayer back on the grass to undo the tarp and then he had to go through a very uncomfortable – but secretly pleasing – search through her bra to find the keys. What he came out with was an oval shaped remote with several buttons on it... But no key. "What the hell?"

He made his way to the driver's side, careful to make sure no one was out and watching them. For such a rich intersection, no one made any movement. It was weird – like the place was abandoned even though it was clearly obvious people lived there. Observing the remote, he found the unlock button and opened the door, grabbing Kagome and then running to the other side to place her gently on the seat. Shutting the door and getting back in on the driver's side, Inuyasha looked at the gear shift, terrified that none of it made sense; there wasn't even a fucking slot for the key! And he had no key! How did the fucking thing start?

Looking around like an idiot, he saw a button with the words _Start _on it. He pressed it, waiting and waiting but nothing was happening. The car dinged unhappily at him and Inuyasha swore. Fucking human technology. He knew how to drive an automatic _normal_ vehicle, but this car was obviously anything _but_.

Looking on the screen, he saw the flashing white writing telling him to hold down the brake. He did so and then pressed the button again, sighing in relief when the engine purred to life.

Now, just to figure out how the hell to use the clutch.

Was this bitch on crack or something?

He looked over at her side, hoping that she was okay. He needed her alive. He desperately needed her alive.

His plans wouldn't work if she died right there. She'd have to die eventually, no doubt about it, but not now.

He couldn't kill her yet.

* * *

All of a sudden, it was really, really hot.

I licked my lips slowly, cringing when the bitter taste of copper filled my mouth. I almost gagged, the reflex pushed down because I had tasted blood too many times for it to really bother me now. Slowly, I wiggled my toes, making sure that they were all okay before I rolled my ankles, and then flexed my feet. I worked my way gently up my body, moving every body part to make sure everything was in proper working order. When nothing hurt, I moved my head, lifting upwards so that I could sit up in the seat. The car was running, the heat blasting through the air vents. I turned to look in the driver seat.

No one was there. Where the _hell_ is Inuyasha?

It struck me as odd then, when I realized that the car was moving. It was going very slowly, but it was still, ultimately, moving forwards. And no one was driving.

I turned around instantly, looking out the rear-window only to see Inuyasha, walking behind the car with one hand on the trunk lid. He was pushing the fucking car like it was nothing. Of course. My life in a nutshell.

"Get the hell in here!" I yelled; my voice rasping and oddly pained.

Inuyasha's eyes connected with mine through the window and he smirked, the corner of his lips turning up before he let go of the car, instantly stopping it, and rushed to the driver's side. He looked like a child on Christmas, and his face was so lit up I didn't know what was so damn amazing about this. I was covered in blood. He was pushing a fucking car like it was no big deal.

"Do you have any idea how _bad_ that looks?"

Inuyasha frowned, his smile wiped away. "How what looks?"

I laughed, but with the condition of my throat, I sounded more like a psychopath then someone just having a good time. "Let me see... Okay. First of all, you're pushing the car like it's a fucking_shopping cart_–"

Inuyasha shook his head, interrupting with a "No, pushing a shopping cart is like pushing air."

"–with me unconscious and covered in blood in the passenger seat, which makes you look like a murderer or very whacked out abusive boyfriend–"

"As if I'd be your boyfriend," Inuyasha chimed in, while I continued to talk. I didn't stop.

"–and you are like a human neon sign of _strange_. So really, let's make this question simpler. Do you have any idea how this looks in any way _good_? That list will be a lot shorter."

Like _non-existent_.

"Well you don't even own a car!" Inuyasha shouted, crossing his arms. "There is no key to even start the stupid thing and who the hell drives _standard_?"

There was a long moment of hesitation while I observed his face. His tanned skin was crinkled around his eyes. He was pouting like hell, and even without any dog-features, he looked like a kicked puppy. I suddenly felt really bad. It wasn't his fault that I passed out. He probably didn't even know what happened.

As if on cue, Inuyasha growled. "Who the hell do you think you are, wench, to pass out on me like that? I mean, seriously, what the hell?"

I figured since he actually fought a pack of Gorgons with me, hadn't killed me while I was unconscious and so far had been nothing but helpful to me since I've met him, I owed him that much. Maybe a bit more.

"Would you mind going into my trunk? I have a small medical kit in my duffel bag. I'll explain while I fix myself up, okay?"

Inuyasha got out of the car, clearly having no clue how to open the trunk. I sighed and leaned over to press the button that unlatched the lid. I listened to Inuyasha as he cursed and complained, looking outside the window and noticing how familiar the place we were sitting looked.

"Here," Inuyasha said, tossing the first-aid kit into my lap.

I continued to stare out the window. "Inuyasha, are we still in the subdivision where we killed the Gorgons?"

"Not even a block away," he concluded, only adding to my fears.

Instantly, I panicked, trying to recall Gorgon lore into my head. "Did they vanish? The Gorgons? They completely disappeared, right?"

Inuyasha gave me a hard stare, his amber eyes continuing to startle me. It was such a strange colour – signalling something completely unnatural – but his personality matched that of any human. He wasn't crazy, blood-lusting or death-obsessed. He was...normal. "Of course they did," he answered me, sending me back into reality. "Just seconds after you passed out."

I sighed, completely relieved. "Okay then. It's not that big of a deal. Next time, you have to get us the hell out of there. Most demons don't turn to ash." Finally opening the medical kit, I cleaned all of the dried and caked blood on my face, realizing with a grimace that it was all in my hair. I really needed a shower.

Inuyasha watched me silently, and I was secretly unnerved. The expression on his face was tense and I reminded myself that he still had yet to tell me why he wanted to train with me, _why_ he wanted me, of all the holy-power cursed humans, to help him. And yet, he helped me kill seven Gorgons without question. He took care of me when I was absolutely helpless to save myself. Something was seriously wrong with the overall picture.

I ushered him out of the car as we switched positions, and I drove off quickly, trying to get as far away from Nobleton as possible. We drove in silence, his eyes still drifting towards me every so often. I tried not to look at him, making sure to focus on the road and figure out what to do. The night was still young and I really wanted to get back over the border and out of Canada.

"Two things," I said suddenly, glancing at my half-demon companion.

"What?"

I hesitated, wondering if I was going to regret it deeply later. It had also crossed my mind – not for the first time – that this decision could be stemmed from my own personal issues. "Are you serious about wanting to tag-team? I mean, to actually learn how to subdue demons. You could never send them to Hell, you have to know that, but you could at least throw them out of the bodies they possess and suspend them a little."

His amber eyes were so damn intriguing. They stared at me again, almost like an entity all its own. He was just so intense. It scared me. "Are you seriously considering then that I could stay?"

I sighed. This was so complicated. "You'd be on probation for a good long while. Mainly, until you tell me why the hell you want to help me in the first place, but I'm not going to force you. As long as you don't make one – and I'm serious when I say _one_ – seemingly threatening move towards me I will actually put a bullet through your brain so fast I'd never know if you were actually trying to kill me."

"Trigger-happy," Inuyasha mumbled, shaking his head. "I won't, you know. My personal mission doesn't involve you dying."

My gut rolled and I knew it will enough to know that it wasn't just because I was starving to death. He could be lying. I looked at him, long and hard. "I'm serious Inuyasha."

"And I'm serious too. I want you to help me."

My confusion kept building but I managed to push it down, leaving it on the back burner for later. "Fine. You're officially my little grasshopper."

Inuyasha gave me a scowl and crossed his arms. "Whatever."

"I'm not done," I continued, trying to get his attention once more. "How do you feel about working out?"

If his scowl could go any deeper, it did. "What the hell are you going on about?"

"Okay look," I said quickly, making the decision without his approval and turning onto the highway. "I really want to make it past the border tonight, back in the States. If you're going to be with me, I need to get you costumes, fake IDs, _hair dye_, false credit cards, passports and insurance policies. I can only do that back at home and since I have blood in my hair, we could go to a gym, you could workout for a bit and I could have a quick shower. It's a lot cheaper than a motel that we wouldn't even use."

Inuyasha grumbled for a moment, none of his words remotely understandable until finally he nodded. "You said home, didn't you?"

"Well, if you could call a bar 'home'," I said breezily and grinned at him. "Don't worry. There aren't any parents to meet."

* * *

"I can't fucking believe you hid me in the _trunk_."

"Well you don't have a passport you idiot, so I had to put you somewhere," I argued, holding the lid and watching as Inuyasha glared up at me from his curled up position in the trunk. I was amazed he even fit in the first place with my duffel bag, the various vacuum-packed bags and the vacuum itself.

"Did you have to drive so far away before letting me out?" Inuyasha yelled, clawed hands grabbing the sides and pushing himself up and out.

"Hey! Hey! Watch the paint," I reminded him, noticing how his long claws would absolutely destroy my lovely yellow paint job. "And I had to. I wanted to make sure that we were in the clear before I let you out. If we get caught, we're dead. You're lucky I'm a natural liar."

Inuyasha growled and immediately went into the passenger seat, pushing it all the way back to let his body stretch out. I pointedly didn't look, instead starting the car again and driving off. We were already closing in on our destination. It was four in the morning, after a stop at the gym to shower, a cheap restaurant for dinner and a lovely, panic-attack inducing stop at the Canada-US border. Inuyasha didn't have a passport, so I had to hide him in the trunk, make sure that I didn't look in any way suspicious so that they didn't search my vehicle... It was just bad overall.

"How much fucking longer?" Inuyasha groaned, shaking his head. "We've been on the road for what, ten hours already?"

I shrugged. "More or less. You'll get used to it."

"Lucky this car is comfortable," Inuyasha grumbled, turning on his side with the seat lowered so he could sleep. "Where are we going anyways? I know you said some bar but... How in the hell are you going to get me fake shit at a bar?"

"Well, it's not _really_ a bar," I answered, grimacing. "It's more like an auto-shop, bar and motel all mixed into one. It's pretty sick, especially since only the special people know about it. We're going to Mercer, in Maine. The population is a pretty low not-even-a-thousand, so this place is tightly under wraps, if you know what I mean." I thought about it for a moment. "We'll probably have to dye your hair quick. I mean, you can't exactly walk into the bar looking like you do."

Inuyasha seemed to be close to sleep, and I was about to shut up when he continued. "Why not?"

"There are very few normal humans that go there," I replied, double checking the signs and turning right on Lexington Road. We still had another one and a bit of driving to go. "It's mainly packed with humans with holy powers or regular humans that know all about the existence of demons. Demons don't exactly have a fan club."

"But they can't purify me," he grumbled, turning on his other side so that he faced me. His stupid, unnerving eyes were on me again. Bastard.

Despite the butterflies that were clawing their way through my stomach, I managed to smile. "Oh, don't worry. Just because I – we – can't purify you, doesn't mean we don't know how to make you suffer so terribly you'll be begging for Hell." I hope that scared him.

"Yeah, whatever, wench," Inuyasha laughed, closing his eyes. "If that makes you sleep any better."

"Oh doggie," I murmured, reaching over and flicking his bangs. "If you go to sleep, I'll make sure to wake you up with those methods. You won't scream."

"Then–"

"Much."

* * *

Mercer, Maine was definitely a small town. If you thought Nobleton was bad – shiver – I would hate to let you know what this place was like. Last time I was checked, the population was around seven-hundred people. We had gone off the main road that ran through Mercer a while ago, the dirt crawling under my tires and the rocks flinging at that beautiful yellow paint that I so dreaded to look at.

Inuyasha was asleep, and I had warned my friends an hour ago that I was on my way. It was almost six, so it was about time to get up anyways.

"Inuyasha," I whispered, poking him with my finger. The stupid half-demon wouldn't wake up. How annoying. "Inuyasha!" I said, this time louder.

As if to mock me, he snored.

"Fine," I said lightly, flipping through my CDs until finally I got the one I wanted. It was obvious that Inuyasha had superb hearing.

Instantly I cranked up the music, nearly full volume and belted out the lyrics with my own voice – the cherry on top, I know.

"What the _fuck_?" Inuyasha screamed, jumping up with his claws swinging.

"Hold me closer tiny dancer!" I sang, using my hands and the steering wheel to add to the drums in the background. "Count the headlights on the highway! Lay me down in sheets of linen... You had a busy day _today_!" Oh, I loved Elton John.

"Fuck you. What the fuck, who the hell, _fuck_. What are you doing you crazy fucking wench?"

I grinned, watching the anger drain away from him as he realized what I was doing. I turned down the volume significantly and laughed. "Wakey-wakey dog boy," I cooed. "Bad dog. You didn't get up when I called."

Inuyasha growled, turning away from me sharply as if ignoring me would be like the ultimate punishment on earth. Yeah. Okay dog boy. Have fun with that.

"We're here," I said, still smiling like an idiot. I was fucking epic. I looked to my right as I turned into a small dirt parking lot, looking at the huge signs that surrounded two main buildings.

"Boomerang's? Are you shitting me?" Inuyasha asked, temporarily forgetting how pissed off with me he was and now staring at me incredulously. "Who the hell named it that?"

"I did," I said, looking at him like he was the biggest dick on the planet. I didn't actually, but I greatly helped in the planning process. "My two best friends own it, Sango and Miroku. Sango...has a thing for boomerangs, you could say."

I parked the car, noticing the moving figures behind a curtained window. I sighed blissfully and got out, stretching my sore muscles and heading towards the trunk. "Here," I said, gaining Inuyasha's attention as I opened up the back and tossed him my duffel bag. I shut the trunk, locked the car and started walking towards the entrance.

"I'm not your fucking bellboy wench," Inuyasha growled, fooling around with the strap as he tried to put it over his shoulder unsuccessfully. "And aren't you going to tarp up your car?"

I turned around, walking backwards and smiled. "Nah. We holy people like to brag."

The confusion that crossed his face made me laugh, until I realized he wasn't looking at me.

"Kagome! Look out!" a familiar male voice called, and I turned, eyes wide.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Shit.

"Fucking bullshit demons. They can't even leave us alone!" a feminine voice shouted from not far behind. Suddenly, two figures were running out, one holding a long staff and the other a massive boomerang.

Fuck my life.

"No!" I screamed, shaking my head and trying to get them to stop. Shit. Shit. "It's okay! He's with me!"

"The demon has her possessed, Sango! Bastard!"

"Miroku, take care of Kagome!"

"No!" I shouted again, trying to get my point across. "NO!"

Sango ran past me while Miroku came and – of course – attacked me with his staff. Hello Miroku. I missed you too.

"Fuck me sideways," I groaned, dodging his attack and running towards Inuyasha who was currently running around in a big circle away from Sango. Had this been another moment at another time, the look on his face would've been priceless. I intercepted Inuyasha, tackling him to the dirt and sitting on top of him, making sure that I covered him almost completely. Sango and Miroku slowed their paces, eyeing my position warily as they stood on either side of me.

"Sango. Miroku. I forgot and I'm terribly sorry but this is a mistake. This is Inuyasha. He's a–"

"Demon! Kagome, you're possessed! Snap out of it!" Miroku yelled, his hands reaching into his pocket for a slip of what I assumed was another spell.

"No! No! Listen to me," I exclaimed, giving them both sharp looks. "I'm not possessed. Here. I'm going to get the holy water out of my duffel bag." Holding my hands up, and looking at both of them, I carefully went to the duffel bag that was wound around Inuyasha's body in an attempt to get the flask. Problem was Inuyasha was lying on top of the fucking bag.

"Inuyasha," I sighed. "Of all the fucking times you could do this..."

"There haven't been any other times!" Inuyasha hissed at me, glaring. "And your friends are more fucking trigger-happy than you are. Only, they must be _fucking out of their minds_, if they use a twig and boomerang made for bloody Sasquatch!"

I deadpanned. He had a point. I turned around to look at Sango and Miroku, and suddenly Miroku's hand was pressed against my forehead, a piece of paper with black-inked symbols scribbled across it. He was praying.

Well, this was better than nothing. For five minutes we sat there in the dirt, waiting for Miroku to finish his spell. Yeah. Surprise.

It didn't work.

"Do you believe me now? I'm _not_ possessed guys."

"It must be some bad shit," Sango said worriedly, looking at Miroku. "What if she gave our position away? What if all the demons are going to come and attack tonight?"

"No! Guys!" I yelled. "I'm not possessed. Inuyasha is my bitch boy. He's not even a demon, he's _half_." For a moment, I thought I might have convinced them.

And then they laughed. "Well, this demon is strong, but very stupid," Miroku choked out, grinning at Sango and pointing at me like I was some alien freak.

Inuyasha growled from underneath me, and without warning I felt myself being lifted into the air, body flying and hands grabbing. Suddenly I was being carried by Inuyasha, his arms wrapped around me tightly as he carried me like a child. He glared at my friends. "I'm a fucking half-demon you idiots. Here. If you don't believe me, believe her. Get the holy water out of the fucking bag and splash her with it."

I shot him a look. That was smooth. Get me wet. Awesome plan. I was going to drink the stuff, but whatever. "Can you put me down? I'll do it myself." Sango and Miroku didn't seem to know what to do. They stared at me with such concern that it almost broke my heart, but quickly I was back on my two feet, flask in hand as I gulped some holy water down.

"How do we know it's holy water?" Sango asked and I rolled my eyes.

I pointed to the cross that was clearly situated on the flask and then, I dribbled some onto my fingers and flicked the spray at Inuyasha.

"Motherfucker," Inuyasha hissed, growling at me as his skin sizzled from it. Quickly, he wiped the droplets from his skin and glowered at me.

"Sorry," I murmured apologetically. "I had to prove a point."

"My fucking ass, wench," he growled, but did nothing more than cross his arms and look at Sango and Miroku. "Believe us now?"

Sango looked at Inuyasha warily before coming up and hugging me. "Thank god. You had me so worried there," she whispered into my hair and I smiled, hugging her back.

"Nice to see you too. Sango, Miroku, I want you to meet Inuyasha. Half-demon – no, we'll talk about this later – and my new apprentice."

Sango and Miroku waved somewhat sheepishly at him, though they still looked at bit cagey. I nudged Inuyasha. "Say hi."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Hi. Please don't try to kill me again? Thanks."

Well done.

Miroku's wicked grin caught my eye. "So Kagome," he said cheekily and I knew something perverted was going to come out of his mouth. Miroku was famous for his crap one-liners, his perverted actions and his over-the-top fantasies about women. Numerous times he asked for a threesome with Sango and I. "You said something about fucking you sideways?"

All three of them looked at me, Inuyasha especially with wide eyes and an almost possessive glare. Wow. Perfect. Way to make my morning.

"In your dreams, Miroku," I answered, flipping him off.

Miroku grinned. "Touché."

* * *

**Please review! And Happy Holidays everyone!**


	6. Two Seven Seven

**A bit of an angsty chapter but this will explain Kagome's character development.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Six: Two Seven Seven

* * *

**

"_Because I'm broken when I'm open, and I don't feel like I am strong enough. Because I'm broken when I'm lonesome, and I don't feel right when you're gone away."_

_-Broken, Seether ft. Amy Lee

* * *

_

Sunlight streamed through the curtained windows and I grumbled, once again wishing for it to _go the fuck away_.

"Fuck me," I cursed, growling at the light as it invaded my eyes.

"Do you usually say that when you're in bed wearing little to nothing?" Inuyasha's snide voice cut in and I gasped, looking up quickly and then realizing my predicament. I had forgotten we were sharing a room. Of course. Because mornings couldn't get any better than this.

"Sorry," I mumbled, turning my head back into my pillow. "I'm not used to being with other people." I realized that as I said it, he probably couldn't understand what the hell I was saying. _I_ didn't understand what I was saying since the pillow muffled everything out.

"Yeah. I caught that when you were screaming at me to get out of your bedroom a while back," Inuyasha replied, giving a shallow laugh and shaking his head. He rolled over, turning his body to face me on the queen bed across from mine.

I looked up at him, giving him a short look translating to: _how the hell_? He shrugged, his smirk looking more than just a little smug. "I have excellent hearing."

Whatever dog boy.

I smothered my face back into my pillow and relaxed, holding my breath until I felt overwhelmed and had to breathe. Rolling over, I looked up at the white ceiling, painting pictures in my head with the cracks on the ceiling.

"What are you doing?"

I sighed. "Wishing that it wasn't two in the afternoon and that I didn't have holy powers with numerous demons to kill."

There was a long moment of silence and I vaguely wonder if I over-shared. I wasn't used to conversation. I wasn't used to having someone to _hear _me, which was probably the reason I spoke to myself so often. Sometimes it felt like I had to talk, just to make up for the fact that I rarely did.

"I'm getting up," I said simply, trying to break the silence.

I felt Inuyasha's golden eyes on me and I couldn't help but squirm slightly under the covers. "...Well are you?"

I rolled over, back onto my side away from him. "Maybe not."

It took only a second for me to throw my hand up in the air to block the pillow that was thrown at my head. I held on fast and turned, throwing it back in the direction that it came from – towards Inuyasha's head.

"Get up lazy ass," the half-demon demanded, catching the pillow with ease and putting it back down on the bed. "Don't we have stuff to do? Demons to kill?"

"No."

Another moment of silence. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

"I would really rather we go kill so evil sons of bitches," Inuyasha reminded me; his voice sounded far too hopeful.

"And I'm the trigger-happy one," I muttered, rolling my eyes even though I knew he couldn't see. I ran through my head what we had to do today and groaned. All of Inuyasha's fake IDs, fixing his hair, talking to Sango and Miroku, finding a new case... None of it seemed worth moving.

Slowly, growling with every movement of my muscles I got out of bed, heading straight towards the bathroom and brushing my teeth. The lights were far too bright for my liking and I squinted at the artificial brightness in disdain.

Wow. Did I look like shit.

My hair was pretty much everywhere and my face was as pale as a ghost. Huge bags circled my eyes from the lack of sleep and every part of me seemed to scream tiredness.

Lovely.

Sighing, I finished up as quickly as possible and threw my hair up in a ponytail, wishing that the wavy locks would for once just stay the way they were supposed to – calm and not mimicking a bird's nest. I opened the door to almost slam into my half-demon companion, who was leaning on the doorframe like he owned the place. "What?" I sighed, pleading with him to not make some snide comment about how long I took or how shitty I looked. I already knew that much. I shoved past him and was out the door and into the hallway, walking along the hardwood flooring of the two-storey motel Sango and Miroku had fixed up behind the bar scene.

I heard the whoosh of air as Inuyasha landed right behind me but this time, I didn't take a swing. It was unnerving how quickly I had grown accustomed to it. "Are you okay?" he asked, his hand on my shoulder, forcing me to stop.

"I'm just tired," I muttered, trying to get out of his hold as fast as possible. "I'm not a morning person."

"You're telling me," Inuyasha scoffed but when he saw the look on face, which I couldn't for the life of me describe, he closed his mouth and had the decency to look somewhat sheepish.

"Let's get breakfast," I said, turning back around on my heel and making my way towards the kitchen.

Sango and Miroku had a pretty good thing going. Their setup was in the primary focus for us lucky bitches that were granted holy powers. A large bar sat on the forefront of the property, taking up most of the desolated dirt lot. The bar in itself held around eighty people to seat, though there was standing room for a minimum of two-hundred. And believe me when I say, the bar gets attention far over that limit. Behind the bar was a large kitchen, comprised mostly for serving bar guests when that time came around. A sound-proof wall after that came the actual motel bit and that was limited to those who wished to stick in Mercer for a while.

Whoever wanted to stick around in Mercer was more or less insane, but I never told Sango or Miroku that because they would probably smack me.

The second storey was reserved for those guests, the ones that had no real connection to my friends other than customers. The first floor was separated into two more parts – the front being another set of room for the elite guests (me and a few other good friends) and then the final and biggest part was the actual house of Sango and Miroku.

Yeah, they lived together.

Yeah, they loved each other.

Yeah, they weren't actually together because Miroku was too terrified of the fact he actually wanted more than just _one piece_ of a woman and Sango would be horrified to admit feelings for a guy who plays women like he plays poker.

And yeah, they are both in some serious denial.

Regardless of that fact, they had a pretty good thing going with the whole bar/motel/fake ID business/car garage. It was every demon slayer's dream getaway, and the fact that I'm saying this to represent all of us is pretty damn sad.

Stepping into Miroku and Sango's part of the house, I tugged on my old worn pyjama pants as I made my way in quietly. Their private kitchen was just down the hall, and I held my finger to my lips to warn Inuyasha to not make a noise.

He rolled his eyes at me. Of course.

"They're awake, wench," Inuyasha told me and I narrowed my eyes at him. He pointed to his head and glared right back, saying, "Excellent hearing? Did we not just go over that fact twenty minutes ago?"

Right.

Instead of dignifying that with an answer, I turned around and continued to make my way into the kitchen, noticing instantly the sudden silence in the room. Sango and Miroku turned around and smiled at me, flicking glances over at Inuyasha.

"Wow, good morning to you too," I muttered, totally not needing their bullshit too. Look, I woke up not in the best of moods. I was tired. I was cranky. My life consisted of killing ugly motherfuckers from Hell. I had a half-demon with a personal agenda that supposedly didn't consist of my death and one of the main reasons he was here was because I was too selfish and didn't want to be lonely.

Do you know how sad my life is?

I went over to the toaster and grabbed the bread near it. "Do you want toast Inuyasha?"

The half-demon gave me a strange look before nodding, throwing me a small smirk. I wonder if his excellent hearing overheard whatever Sango and Miroku were talking about. It was obviously about me and Inuyasha, or just Inuyasha, or just me, but it wasn't a good conversation.

"Butter or no?" I continued, making sure Sango and Miroku understood that I was not in any way regretting or letting go of my decision to keep Inuyasha as an apprentice (or whatever) and to show them that I knew full-well what they were doing.

"Butter," he replied, still giving me that strange look.

Sango came up to me, handing me the butter and trying to give another smile, but I just turned back to putting the bread in the slots. "Sango, where are your hair colour boxes?"

I could tell she was struggling behind me. "Um, in my bathroom, why?"

"Can you get me a couple boxes? I'd say...three in black, unless you're out?" I gave a look at Inuyasha and then back towards her, letting her understand. "I can't exactly have his fake IDs looking any more questionable. We need to dye his hair black before we take any photos."

"You're what?" Inuyasha asked, completely taken by surprise.

I waggled the butter knife at him as I waited for the bread to pop. "Well, I'm sorry but you're a neon sign saying, _I'm not legit_. FBI agents don't have long waist-length silver hair and gold coloured eyes. Now, I can probably swing the eye colour but the hair definitely needs to be changed." I nodded and then slowly pulled the toast out onto plates.

"I guess I'll just go get them," Sango murmured behind me and I continued to bob my head, as if nodding made anything better with the day.

"Wench, I am _not_ dying my hair."

I made the food and spoke as if this was normal every day conversation. When I handed him the plate of buttered toast, I smiled wickedly. "You do it, or I do. Your choice."

For a long moment, Inuyasha glared at me, and I saw his mouth open with some smart comment about to form when all of a sudden he shut it, and the look on his face changed to that of worry. "Fine. Just let me eat first."

Hm. Odd.

But right now, there were a lot of things that were odd in my book. Regardless of the acquired holy powers, the existence of demons and the existence of an annoying half dog-demon, my best friends were acting like total strangers and Inuyasha was now experiencing schizophrenia. Just friggen peachy. As I bit into my own breakfast, I thought of Inuyasha's issues, hoping to deal with Sango and Miroku later. Whatever they had said was probably overheard by Inuyasha, who was giving me strange looks because of it. On top of that, Inuyasha was very protective of his hair. Crackpot.

Sango returned with three boxes of black hair dye, handing them over to Inuyasha. "I have more if you need it."

Inuyasha frowned at her as he looked at the boxes portraying beautiful women with shiny white teeth. "Um... Two questions: why do you have random boxes of hair dye and why must I use female hair dye? As if this isn't bad enough." He shot me a dirty look that I shook off with a roll of my eyes.

"Demon slayers usually get into trouble with the law," I started around my mouthful of bread, "so changing appearances is usually important. Sango and Miroku have it on reserve since most of the slayers come here from time to time. And what's the difference between male and female hair dye?"

Inuyasha grumbled and stood up, pushing the now empty plate away. "Whatever wench. I'll be in our bathroom." He muttered some more obscenities and I'm pretty sure he was cursing me to Hell. Which is funny because I'm already there.

Ha. Ha. Hahahahaha.

I guess you have to be in my position to truly understand the joke.

The moment Inuyasha left the room, Miroku turned sorrow-filled eyes at me and opened his mouth to speak, which I immediately flagged off. I waited until I heard the sound of doors closing and water running until I sighed. "Say it."

"What the hell?" Miroku asked, looking at me solidly. He shook his head, opening and then closing his mouth like a fish underwater. A bitter laugh, and then he says, "I have so many questions I don't even know how to start."

"Why did you shush us right now?" Sango intervened, leaning against the counter like we all were. Her soft magenta coloured eyes seemed harder than usual, and looking at Miroku, I noticed the same thing. This was obviously something that they both had been discussing behind my back for a while now. _Kagome has lost it. Kagome is insane._

Well, yeah. Probably. However, that is no excuse for being so uptight and damn rude.

"Inuyasha is a half-demon," I said slowly, making eye contact with both of them before continuing. "He's a half _dog_-demon with astounding hearing." The moment those two last words left my mouth, the two exchanged slightly worried glances. "Yeah," I murmured. "Doesn't it suck when you realize something you were talking about secretly isn't a secret anymore?"

"It's not a secret, Kagome," Miroku soothed, moving closer and putting a hand on my shoulder. "We're just really worried about you."

I snorted and took a massive bite of my toast, hoping to keep them talking so I would only have to do the bare minimum. I was not in the mood for sharing emotions and getting all touchy-feely because today was a bad day and from the looks of it, it was only getting worse.

"Miroku's right," Sango agreed. "What are you even doing with a half-demon? They're not even supposed to exist! You would think since we talk to demon slayers from _everywhere_ that some sort of existence would've been found by now."

I shrugged and glared at my now empty plate. "Yeah, well there is. Whoop-dee-do. More things for me to try and kill."

Miroku shook his head, hand tightening on my shoulder. "Kill them? Aren't you keeping one with you? As an _apprentice_?"

"Yup. Funny how that works, eh?" I said lightly, hoping that my attitude would get them to back off. "He wants to learn from the best, and let's face it: I've sent more demons to Hell in three years than most demon slayers have done in ten. Oh, but isn't that funny? It's not _possible_ for them to beat my record because they can't _kill more than one-hundred_. Hm. Funny world this is."

"Stop it, Kagome," Sango said. "We know. We know how hard this is for you."

Oh that was a kicker. "Do you?" I exclaimed, feeling the blood under my skin beginning to boil. "Do you really have any fucking idea of what it's like?" How the _fuck_ did they have a right to any of this? How could they say that so easily when they obviously have never sent a demon to Hell? Yes, regular humans can slow down demons by kicking them out of their meat-shells but they sure as hell couldn't kill them for good. "And tell me, were you actually thinking what it was like for me when you more or less were going to force Inuyasha to sleep outside because you didn't want to give a half-demon his own room? Leaving me to have to share with him? Do you really think I would just lead some evil bastard here like that?"

Miroku and Sango both winced at the memory of earlier this morning, when we all decided that I needed to sleep and oh, Inuyasha wasn't allowed. "Kagome," they chorused, but I shook my head, tired of it all ready. What time was it? Two-thirty? Almost three?

"That's enough. I don't want to talk about this, okay?" I could hear the pleading in my voice and I hated it. I hated how numerous times Sango and Miroku tried to have this conversation with me. The one-of-us-can-stay-with-you argument because Kagome-is-unstable because Kagome-isn't-like-other-humanswithholypowers. Seriously.

Fuck right off.

"Don't let Inuyasha stay," Sango bit in, feeding the fire in my raging mind and I stood there, fists clenching uncontrollably as I told myself over and over to calm down, to relax, to not storm out on them because they were my best friends and they were just trying to help. "One of us can go with you. Then you won't be so alone all the time. Wouldn't that be better? Isn't that what you're doing here, just gaining company?"

Pin the tail on the fucking donkey, why don't you? "This is not about me and the isolation I have with any form of human companionship! Yes, Sango, I try to make friends. Yes, Miroku, I get laid the odd time. But I'm_ fine_; can we not just leave it at that?"

I could see Miroku's jaw harden as he stepped closer. "No, Kagome. We're worried about you."

You know what? Fuck that.

"You shouldn't," I said with gritted teeth, before I turned on my heel and left their kitchen, shoving through doors and pushing my way past bustling chiefs trying to prepare food in the kitchen for later that evening. I finally made it to the front – the bar – and as soon as I laid eyes on the large bottle of clear burning liquid, I grabbed a shot glass and slammed it on the bar top. I wondered to myself, looking at the tiny shot glass with the name "Boomerang's" on it, just how many shots of Vodka I could do before Sango and/or Miroku found me.

Let's find out.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

The burning liquid ripped through my throat as my nose cleared abruptly, my stomach started to turn and the doors from the front to the kitchen burst open.

"Kagome, what the hell?" Sango asked, running up with wide-eyes full of worry as she grabbed the shot glass out of my hands and the open bottle of Vodka. "How much did you have? Kagome, are you okay?"

"Stop, Sango," I murmured, trying to get away from her before the buzz started to set in. "I don't need you to worry about me. I've built my life around the fact that _no one_ has to worry about me. When I die, no one will know and no one will care. That's how it is. That's how I planned it. That's how it's going to _stay_." I watched as her face fell, and I knew my words were cutting through her. Sango didn't deserve what I was saying, and I knew it, but I couldn't help it. They didn't have to go to that taboo place where _Kagome is lonely_. They didn't have to go and push all the wrong buttons to set me off. This had to be done. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, shaking my head. "But you don't have to worry anymore."

I took off again before she could say anything and from the sounds of it, she didn't follow me. I snuck my way out of the kitchen, into my shared bedroom where I could hear the pounding of water on porcelain and Inuyasha's curses. The bed felt soft underneath me and I lay there silently, praying that they wouldn't come after me. Or that Miroku wouldn't come and yell at me for hurting Sango so much.

Minutes passed by and sure enough, the pounding of feet down the hall alerted me that someone was walking this way, quickly towards me. I sat up and – _WOO there's the Vodka_ – looked around the room. There was literally nowhere to hide. Closer and closer the footsteps came, and suddenly, a thought crept from the back of my mind, urging me towards the bathroom door and turning the handle. _Fuck_, I thought, looking at the bedroom door hastily before ripping at the handle again, as if the more I jiggled it, the more unlocked it would become. As if that made sense.

"Who the hell–" But I silenced Inuyasha by shoving past him as he opened the door, slamming and locking it behind me.

"I'm not here," I whispered, giving him a pointed glare. It wasn't until then that I realized he was only wearing a towel. With really black hair. Damn. He looked good.

"Yeah, you are," Inuyasha insisted, trying to open the door behind me and push me out. "And you should leave."

"Listen!" I urged, slapping his hand away from the knob and trying to stop ogling him. "Do you hear those angry footsteps?" I listened in horror. That was definitely Miroku planning on ripping me a new one. "Please don't feed me to the wolves!" I exclaimed in a hushed voice and Inuyasha frowned at me, his brows curving down the slant of his face as his amber eyes assessed me.

Wow. He was actually really attractive.

Even with black hair.

Hello, Vodka. I've missed you.

"Are you drunk?" Inuyasha asked, looking incredulous as he tied his towel around his waist.

"Not yet," I assured him. "But I'm getting there. The buzz just started to kick in and wow, it's hot in here." I looked around the steam-filled room in wonder. How long had that shower been running? His hair was still dripping wet. "Did you get out of the shower because you heard me knocking?"

"You never knocked," Inuyasha pointed out and then suddenly his head was up over mine, looking at the door and growling. "You're a pain in the ass," he whispered. He turned to the shower and pointed for me to get in.

Wow. Was he suggesting we shower together? ...But the water was off. Wait. No. _I get it_. He wants me to hide in the shower. Ohhhh...

Suddenly, pounding knocks filled the small bathroom and I leapt into the half-bathtub half-shower with glee. I'm not sure why it made me happy, but whatever. I closed the curtain and listened in silence as Inuyasha opened the door.

"What?" Inuyasha's harsh voice asked, and I could tell without even looking at him that he was scowling.

"Is Kagome in there with you?" Miroku's deep voice asked and I could tell from the strain that he was trying to look around Inuyasha's body. Inuyasha was just over six-feet, a good inch or so bigger than Miroku, so looking wouldn't have been that fun.

"Are you serious?" Inuyasha asked dryly and I gave him a thumbs-up before realizing he couldn't see it. The buzz was definitely there. Considering I had one piece of toast and six back-to-back shots of Vodka, this could be a surprisingly good afternoon. "Do you really think I'd let her in here?" Inuyasha growled, stirring me out of my thoughts.

"I guess not," Miroku murmured and then after a moment's hesitation, added, "By the way. I'm sorry if we got off on the wrong foot. I'm – we're – not used to any form of demon near us...alive. It's just a bit shocking."

Hm. I'm in a shower. Not that the shower's actually running but...you're not supposed to be dressed in a shower. Hm...

"Probably. Now, I would really like to dry my hair," Inuyasha pressed and after a quick apology, Miroku was gone.

The shower curtain was ripped away instantly and I giggled. "What are you doing, silly?" I asked, holding my shirt in the air like it was a prize. One article of clothing down, three more to go!

"What the fuck?" Inuyasha asked, his eyes suddenly becoming shielded by his hand as he leaned on the wall. "Why the hell are you undressing?"

"Aren't we showering?" I asked. Like, seriously. I'm in the shower. He's already wet. It's all good.

"No, wench, _I'm_ done. Get out," he hissed, still not looking at me. I don't understand why he was being so modest. I was still wearing a bra. Like he said earlier: nothing he hadn't seen before.

"But–"

"Out."

I sighed dejectedly and threw my shirt at him, slightly pissed that he was ruining my fun. Inuyasha growled and flipped it back the proper way, letting his eyes get one good look at me while he shoved my head through the hole to put my shirt back on. He dressed me like I was a child and I fought him like hell the entire way through it. "Kagome, fuck, get dressed."

"It's _hot_," I complained. "Besides, we're showering."

"We're not showering!" Inuyasha insisted, grabbing my upper arms and trying to haul me out of the porcelain tub. "Now get out of the bathroom!"

"No!" I struggled, trying to shake him off of me. What happened next was too quick for my Vodka-reduced brain to handle and suddenly I was falling.

"Wee!" I screeched. Suddenly, my lower back was tightly secured, as were the backs of my knees. Oh! We're FLYING!

Inuyasha was holding me, shaking his head and growling furiously. His shower-hot body was pressed tightly against mine and I couldn't help but think of how horny alcohol made me. He really was attractive for a half-demon. I was giving it serious consideration. Screwing with the enemy? Nah. Not if he's only _half_.

"You're unbelievable!" Inuyasha announced, shaking me. "Why the hell did you start drinking? Please, tell me it's not because of those idiots."

"Eh, I have a shitty life," I said, and for some reason I saluted him too. "It's what they said."

"I should dump you on the floor at their feet right now," my half-demon growled and I rolled my eyes.

"Drunk or not, I could still have your ass," I quipped and then I frowned. "Kick your ass. Not 'have your ass', sorry. However, I wouldn't mind–"

And for the second time that afternoon, whatever the hell happened was just a big foggy blur. Instantly I was hanging, his arms wrapped tightly around my legs as my upper body hung painfully upside down. All the blood was rushing to my head and this was not good for someone who had a mouthful of shots in a row. "Put me down!" I argued, yelling at Inuyasha. "You put me down this instant or I'm going to shoot you in the face so fast–"

"With what gun, you tool?" Inuyasha replied and then I was moving, flying upside down with my ponytail dragging on the floor and his towel hitting me in the face.

"Fine, forget the gun," I managed. "I could undress you in one second flat."

And I got my wish. I was dumped on the ground, my head painfully hitting the hardwood flooring and the room spun. It kept spinning and I wasn't sure if I was going to be sick or if I was just going to pass out.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Inuyasha demanded; his rough voice cutting me sharply. Suddenly I couldn't breathe and everything was hurting. Everything was on fire. Everything was spinning so fast, so out of control and I couldn't stop it. "We have shit to do, even if that work is here. And what are you doing? Getting wasted at three in the afternoon. I hope to hell that you don't do this regularly because I'm _not_ putting up with this crap."

I had a comment to snap right back at him but I couldn't form the words. The distraught sounds that made it out surprised me, because they were sobs and soon, I could feel my whole body shaking with it. Tears... I was crying. For the first time in months, tears were streaking down my face like the first chance of freedom and I couldn't stop them, no matter how hard or how often I swiped them away. They just kept coming and coming...

"Wench?"

I didn't ask for this. I didn't want this. All I wanted to do was relax with friends, find a new job, getting Inuyasha situated properly. Instead I had to deal with heartbreaking, backstabbing friends, painful conversations, Vodka-induced misery and worst of all, a half-demon that I couldn't escape from in my current state.

"Kagome, are you crying?" There was a pause, and a flash of black clouded a corner of my vision. "Fuck," he continued and I tried to stop the tears, I really did, but they just wouldn't stop. Inuyasha's face was suddenly near mine and the light of the room was blocked out by a waterfall of midnight strands, his hair blocking out everything but his intense amber eyes. "Why the hell are you crying?" he asked softly, despite the words he used.

I felt another sob wrack at my chest and suddenly, it just became so painstakingly clear. "Two hundred and seventy-seven," I whispered, closing my eyes and feeling more tears spill. "Two fucking hundred and seventy-fucking-seven."

"What?" Inuyasha murmured.

"Two-seven-seven!" I cried out, eyes opening and glaring at him. "You know, the number? But it's _not_ just a number. It's a fucking death sentence. In three years I have killed more demons than any other demon slayer. I've killed two-hundred and seventy-seven of them." The sobs just kept hitting me like waves of the ocean and I felt my body grow heavier and heavier under the weight. "Demon killing isn't just a gig you sign up for. It's fate. When you turn eighteen, you suddenly get these powers and a stupid beeping noise in your head. Then you learn that these powers can purify demons and send them to Hell and that the beeping noise is a sort of radar to find them. What no one tells you is that you need to figure out the changes in your body before the demons find you, because they want to kill you before you even have the chance to understand."

Suddenly, Inuyasha's eyes seemed to flash comprehension and he knows. Somehow he knows what's coming next from my lips. "What no one tells you is that demons will do anything to find you. Even kill innocent humans that know nothing. Even kill a young girl's father because he refused to give up where she was on that Tuesday night. Even go so far as to let him bleed out slowly so that he doesn't die right away, so he had enough time to call his daughter and tell her to run away, far away, because something wants her dead and it won't stop. And then, you know what? Even when that girl runs away, she had no one or nothing to rely on, because she's never been on her own at eighteen before because eighteen is when the freedom just begins and she had no idea what to do with it yet. So she hangs in the backdrop of her family, knowing she can't go back there because whatever killed her father – those horrible demons – would come back and slaughter her mother, grandfather and twit of a younger brother. Every day she watches her mother's face looking everywhere, because her husband is dead and her daughter's missing and every day she has a slow dwindling hope that her daughter will return. Soon, it becomes too much and the beeping in the head gets louder and louder every fucking day and finally, she breaks into a morgue, finds a dead body and burns it to ash, dumping it in a ditch near her home with a pair of earrings that her mother gave her for her seventeenth birthday so that her family wouldn't hurt any more. And then she leaves and _never_ goes back."

I took a deep breath, tired of trying to talk in third person because it was stupid and Inuyasha obviously knew it was me the entire time. "I never went back," I whispered, choking on a sob. "And I vowed that I would kill one-hundred demons, starting with the ones that killed my father so that I could return to my normal life, completely protected from demons forever." I laughed bitterly, because what comes next was the real crapper in my life. "I killed them all in thirteen months, just over a year. The final hundredth demon fell silent under my hand and suddenly... Nothing. Everything was the same. The radar was still screaming and when another demon attacked me out of the blue I could still get hurt, still bleed from their claws and could still purify it and sent its sorry ass to Hell."

Inuyasha's body shifted closer and I noticed just how close he was to me. His hands were on either side of my head, and his body was just to my right, leaning over me and blocking me from the light. "None of that you could've controlled," he murmured; his voice oddly rougher than usual.

"Exactly," I whispered back, blinking and wiping at the tears that fell angrily. "I don't understand why whoever the hell is running things in Heaven won't let me go." And that's it. That's when the dam broke and I cried harder than I cried when my father was on the phone uttering his last breath.

"Then this is what we'll do," Inuyasha said firmly, his hands grabbing my own to stop me from clawing at my tear-stained face. "We get these IDs printed, we find a job, and we find out how to talk to Heaven to get them to let you go." Inuyasha's voice instantly stopped my sobbing and slowly, the world seemed to slow down, to not spin so much. I tried to say something, anything, but I couldn't. All I could do was look at him and watch him as he slowly picked me up, no longer wearing a towel but jeans instead, and placed me on the bed.

Finally, I found words. "We will?"

Inuyasha nodded and gave me a smirk. "As long as you never cry again, wench, because my ears might fall off next time."

_Asshole._ But I still smiled.

* * *

**Action next chapter...as well as Inuyasha in a suit? Who doesn't say that they love their men in uniform?**

**Thank you for the reviews so far, and as always, let me know what you think!**


	7. Big Boy Words

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Seven: Big Boy Words**

* * *

"_The state I'm in, a place I've never been, I'm dying to meet you in Hell. Come break this skin, I'll let you sink right in and show you everything. See you in Hell. We'll gather around the fire and I will lead the choir. Sing farewell. See you in Hell."_

_-Hell, Foo Fighters._

* * *

So you're probably wondering how my drunk ass managed to make it from horny to suicidal in minutes. If you figure it out, let me know, would you?

I couldn't exactly tell you when I sobered up, because between the depressing memories and my new resolve with Inuyasha, I don't really know when it occurred. All I remember is lying in bed for a while, watching the unmoving ceiling while Inuyasha blow dried his hair. We made the plan to fix up his IDs secretly without Sango and Miroku's help (if possible), and then come back up here and look for another job. When we found one, we were going to leave.

A part of me felt horrible, because this is not how I wanted things to be with Sango and Miroku. Being my best friends in the entire world, which is the only link to the world that I've got, I would never want to hurt them or cause them pain in any way. From what they told me, it was impossible to do so. I couldn't ask for one of them to come with me because I knew without a doubt that they would go crazy without each other. I could picture it now:

With Sango we would be in the middle of a battle and suddenly she would start swearing and killing demons like crazy because she forgot to tell Miroku how to turn on the stove and then she would fret that he was starving to death and then she would freak because she imagined another woman feeding his poor starving body and then she'd go on and on about it forever because, well, just because.

With Miroku we would be resting in a motel and he would ask me to have his children. I would then smack him and send him back to Sango because she is the only woman I know that has tolerated him for so long thus far.

Okay, so they didn't trust Inuyasha, and I knew that that was the problem at the heart of all this. They probably thought I was just so lonely and insane I invited a half-demon to stay with me so that I wasn't so isolated anymore.

I'm pretty sure that was one of the main reasons I kept him around in the first place, but we won't tell them that.

Besides, this will blow over eventually. Once they realize I'm still breathing and active after a week, there won't be any more problems. Inuyasha and I just had to figure out where to go to next.

While waiting for the pictures to process and the various identification cards to print out, Inuyasha and I mauled over current newspapers and international news websites. It wasn't long before we found a hit.

"Read this," I urged, shoving the newspaper underneath Inuyasha's eyes. "What do you think?"

Scanning over the story, Inuyasha shrugged. "Couple missing for five days after mountain hike through the Appalachian trail near Hightower Gap... I don't know. They could've just run away or did some other stupid love shit."

I rolled my eyes. Charming. "Keep reading, Romeo."

I watched as his eyed widened. "Five others have been reported missing from there in the course of a year. The same trail too. They all started at Springer Mountain... Someone's under arrest though," he added, looking at me.

I shrugged. "Innocent people get arrested all the time. You can't explain demons, so how else are you going to do it?"

Inuyasha shrugged and kept reading. "Georgia? You've got to be kidding me." I mimicked him by shrugging nonchalantly and he groaned. "No, wench. No."

"Too damn bad dog boy. Buckle up. It's going to be a long twenty hours." I grinned wickedly, finally feeling a bit better after my little depression spell. Now all we had to do was figure out a way to talk to Heaven.

Yeah. Thanks for the luck, assholes.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha watched Kagome carefully as they headed out towards the bar, trying to get any read of her emotions. It was difficult to say the least. The demon hunter was by far the most complicated and annoying wench he had ever met – and he had met a few in his lifetime. Since he had met her she had been hard, tough and undeniably difficult. She chewed him out when she wanted to. She responded sarcastically at will. She even shot him, the bitch.

All in all, he kind of liked her. She was spunkier than the last priestess he had used, not that that went well in any way.

The problem was that he really needed Sango and Miroku on his side of the picture. He needed them to like him or at least accept him enough to speak freely with him and Kagome. Winning Kagome over had been easier than he had originally thought, and it hadn't been until this morning when they walked in the kitchen on the pair that he figured it out.

Their words rang perfectly through his mind, his excellent hearing a blessing.

"You know why she's doing this, don't you?" Sango had asked Miroku in a hushed voice. She sounded really upset, more than her words were insinuating. "She's all alone all the time. She can never see her family – hell, that's not even a possibility – and she's never with friends like us."

"What? You think she's with his half-demon to solve her loneliness issues?" Miroku asked. "I'm not sure Sango. Kagome's really strong. I know it's not exactly any sort of proper life, but I don't think she's that desperate."

"Miroku, she's taking on a half-demon to be her apprentice. Did you not see how quickly she changed the subject when we tried asking the moment she got here? She doesn't even know the reason herself."

"Maybe there's more to it," Miroku reasoned, though Inuyasha could tell from his voice that he didn't really think there was himself.

So the wench was lonely – that just made his life a million times easier to get what he wanted. However, he needed her in touch with friends so that word didn't get out he was a bad guy and they had more problems from other hunters than he could deal with. No, Kagome needed to make nice-nice with her friends, at least for now.

"Give me the bag," Inuyasha said suddenly, looking over at Kagome's solid face. "I'll carry it. You've done enough." _I sound like a fucking puppy._

"Um, sure," Kagome murmured, glaring at him shrewdly before handing him the duffel. She was smart, he'd give her that.

The moment they walked into the kitchen, he rushed. He ran through it, passing Sango with a quick smirk before going through the bar, carefully making sure not to come into contact with any of the holy-powered freaks. He couldn't wait until he could destroy them all.

Kagome had to talk to Sango now, especially since the best friend knew they were leaving. He waited by the Corvette, trying to be patient and invisible in the darkness. Twenty minutes later, Kagome came out with a grin.

"You bastard," she quipped, smacking him on the shoulder. "I should've known you'd never do anything nice for me without a reason."

Inuyasha made his eyes big and tilted his head. He knew the puppy dog look would be more complete with the view of his ears, but like hell that was going to happen. "What are you talking about?" he asked innocently.

Kagome rolled her eyes and popped the trunk, letting him throw the duffel in. Before she shut it, Kagome reached inside the zipper and pulled out a fair sized black box, all of which contained Inuyasha's new fake IDs. "We keep these in the front in case of emergencies," she started, finally leaving the back and getting in the driver's side. She lifted the middle console and produced the secret hiding spot, dumping all of the contents inside.

"Welcome to a life of fraud."

Inuyasha smirked. "Glad to be here."

And he was. He was just another step closer to his goal.

* * *

Getting to Georgia was a lot like dying.

It took a fucking long time, it seemed endless and it wasn't until you finally got there that you went "_shit, all of that for nothing_?" Well, that's what it felt like.

Inuyasha and I had left really late on the Sunday night from the Boomerang's, and thanks to Inuyasha's not so smooth move, I managed to make a deal with Sango to be back in five days to start all over again – this time, with no thoughts of demonic possession. In a way, this was good, because that meant I could work off steam, forget about my past and work with Inuyasha while killing a demonic son of a bitch. By noon on Monday I had to stop, and Inuyasha and I got a motel room where I slept for a good nine hours before Inuyasha threw a pillow at my head to tell me to get my lazy ass out of bed. From that point, we had only about five hours left to go and we drove all the way into the Georgia limits before pulling over at two am for yet another motel. We needed to start fresh for our new job, and I figured I would need all the sleep I could get to deal with my half-demon companion and all of his stupid questions.

Right now, we only had come up with one solid demon type – a Tengu from Japanese demonology. They are mountainous demons, but in all honesty, any kind of demon – whether it's one of madness or disease or death – can live anywhere it wants.

So that really helped.

"I'm sorry to ask this," I started, looking at Inuyasha, "but do you know how to get a room?"

"Are you fucking me?"

I snorted. "I sincerely hope not."

It took a moment for Inuyasha to understand exactly what he said, and instantly he pressed his lips together in a tight line. He nodded twice and then looked out the window of the Corvette, even though we were already parked at some roadside motel and not going anywhere.

"Do you want to get us one?" I asked and I intentionally forced my words to come out slow, just to piss him off.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Fine. Whatever. Cash?"

I frowned and shook my head. "No way. Have I not taught you yet? Oh wait..." I rushed to the trunk, popping the lid and searching through my duffel bag for some of Miroku's old credit cards. There were tons of applications that I put in to cover what I had taken from him. "Here you go. Just make sure to know the name before you hand it to the guy, and _sign that name_."

"It's not rocket science, wench," Inuyasha spat. "I'll figure it out."

"Whatever dog boy," I called back and smiled. He was too much fun to bother. Soon, it was going to be unhealthy.

The night had gone by somewhat uneventful. Inuyasha and I both settled into our respectful queen beds, and after we both had finished showering (me first because I said so), I gave my half-demon companion a pointed look when he walked out in nothing but a towel around his waist. "What are you doing?"

Inuyasha smirked wickedly at me. "Don't get pissy. I left my clothes in here." When I saw him pick up the same pair of jeans I'd seen him wear since...forever, I started to get a little worried. I watched as he attempted to put them on, and then I saw it.

'It' being a perfect round hole in his jeans in the thigh area.

"For the love of god," I murmured, shaking my head. How the hell had I not noticed after all this time? "You only have one pair of jeans?"

"I'm sure we've gone over this before, but is using you-know-who's name in vain a good idea Miss Holy Powers?" Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at me, the amber standing out in stark contrast to his dark black hair. I still was on the fence on which colour I liked better, but that was off topic. I guess when I didn't give him an answer but only fascinated looks at his face, he continued. "Yeah, only one pair. Why?" He held up his t-shirt too and I almost gagged. The same sleeveless tank. Oh. Dear. God.

Inuyasha's harsh words cut through my moment of mental slapping. I should not be fascinated by his looks. No. I _desperately_ needed to find a bar and have a good time. _Desperately. _"Look. I know I'm just as sexy with black hair but seriously, I would rather you _didn't_ look while I was changing."

I laughed uneasily, realizing how stupid I must look. From fascinated to confused to frustrated – not exactly a stable mood. I decided that I needed to start paying better attention. Staring at his jeans, he was shuffling in just a towel and trying to put them. He was struggling a bit with his damp body and dripping black hair... "Why? Is it that embarrassing?" Yeah. Getting laid was by far topping my to-do list.

"Bitch."

"Oh. Now we're using the big boy words."

Inuyasha growled and dropped his jeans, reaching for his pillow and throwing it with perfect aim at my head. I caught it, but his point was made loud and clear. I lay down on my side facing away from him, giving him the proper space to change. "You know," I said, making conversation through the awkwardness. "You could change in the bathroom."

Inuyasha swore and I stifled the laugh that threatened to spill.

When he came back out, I had already done the calculations in my head. "We'll stop in the next town and get you some clothes. We only have about a half-hour drive until we reach the Blue Ridge police department, so we'll need to definitely get you a suit if you want to take part in the whole lying, cheating and deceiving bit."

I watched him as he came closer, his black hair dripping water droplets as he tried to slide on the only sleeveless shirt he owned. Seriously, how had I not noticed his lack of hygiene? "You'll let me?"

I rolled my eyes. "I got in a fight with my friends because of you," I answered simply. "I'm quite sure that whatever I decided about this partnership has permanently changed so you're stuck with me and that's that. Okay?"

Inuyasha smirked. "I'm stuck with you?"

There was something in his expression that sent my stomach churning and I was sure – more than one-hundred percent positive – that his face was wearing that same mask in the kitchen at Miroku and Sango's house, after we interrupted them. "What?" I asked immediately, trying to read his eyes. Those amber orbs were like an open book, but before I had a chance to figure out what he was thinking he was walking away towards his bed and flopping down.

"What?" Inuyasha repeated and I could tell that he was mocking me to try and avoid my question.

"What did Miroku and Sango say when we were at Boomerang's?" I asked bluntly, sitting back up on the bed. I was already ready for bed, but with this question out in the open, I doubted I'd be sleeping any time soon.

"What makes you think I heard anything?" Inuyasha countered and instantly shut off the lights. I could hear the creaking of the metal bed frame as he jumped into bed.

"You heard."

"Maybe."

"What were they saying?" I could feel my patience wearing thin.

"They were saying something?"

I growled and laid down, rolling on my side away from him and closing my eyes. He obviously didn't want to talk, but I would make him. Surely, I would make him. Not now, but soon.

This damn half-demon had to learn that I never give up.

And the more you fight with me, the more dirt you dig out of your own personal grave of absolute and torturous hell.

Descriptive? Well. I'm nothing if not thorough.

* * *

"I _refuse_ to wear this bullshit," Inuyasha cursed, tugging on the collar of his white button-up shirt with a scowl.

"You're already wearing it." I mimicked his expression as I wrapped the tie around his neck, trying to desperately remember the online instructions I had researched an hour ago. "And if you want to do this with me, you've got to wear the suit."

"I already dyed my hair with your girly shit," the half-demon scoffed. "Why do I have to do this? I look like I'm going to a funeral."

"It'll be yours if you don't shut the fuck up," I muttered under my breath, knowing full-well that he could hear me. "Besides the FBI wear suits." Finally, that damned tie was finished...was it lopsided?

Inuyasha growled before swatting my hands away when trying to fix it. "What the hell wench?"

"Stay still and _shut the fuck up_ dog boy," I snapped, reiterating previous words through gritted teeth.

For Inuyasha's first job, he sure as hell was being a pain in my ass. Looking at him, you could tell that he was ready though. His long black hair was tied back, suit on and tie done – almost – perfectly. We were a block away from the Blue Ridge Police Department, finishing up the final touches on our outfits before walking there. Yeah, the FBI make good money but they definitely don't show up in yellow Corvettes.

"Do you have your fake ID?" I asked, feeling in the pocket of my much more fitting suit jacket for my folder. Inuyasha reached into his inside pocket and pulled out the ID and badge that I had given him. "Name?"

"Agent Takahashi," Inuyasha replied breezily, rolling his eyes. "You've made me say it to you like fifty times."

"I'll bet you twenty dollars you'll screw it up in there," I retorted, giving him a look before getting out of the car. I threw our regular clothes in my now almost-exploding trunk. With my massive duffel bag full of clothes and toiletries, and his massive duffel bag full of the same thing, _plus_ the mini vacuum and all the vacuum-packed bags that held not only _my_ costumes but _his_ new ones...

I frowned. I really didn't want to get rid of this car.

It took five minutes to get there, and Inuyasha was struggling with his shirt the entire time, complaining about this and that. If it wasn't for the fact that I needed him looking like a professional FBI agent, I would've given him a black eye.

"Follow my lead," I murmured quietly to him as we entered the building, and instantly I walked taller, face expressionless. Inuyasha wouldn't know how to do these things, but he would pick it up in time. "Excuse me?" I asked politely, looking at the first cop that came into my line of vision. "Where is the captain?"

The younger cop looked at me confused before opening his mouth, stuttering around words. "Um–"

"I'm captain here." A brisk voice filled the room, silencing most of the cops into jittery whispers and I turned to smile. The man was older, maybe around his late forties with crow's feet etching the corners of this eyes and thick dented lines around his lips from smoking too much.

"Captain, I'm FBI Agent Nazuna Orikasa and this is my partner Ataru Takahashi," I said, pulling out my ID folder, showing it to him quickly and snapping it shut before he had a chance to look. "We're here about the disappearances of Katsuo and Yumi Watanabe. We understand that there were also five disappearances prior that may be connected."

The captain choked, staring at me with wide eyes before coughing slightly into his hand. "And three of those five had valid reasons for disappearing," he answered immediately, trying to maintain his professional stance but finding a hard time since I was – well – dominating him.

"Regardless," I continued. "Five disappearances in ten months? That's not even remotely suspicious to you? Add this couple and that makes seven. That's point-seven people gone per month, Captain...?"

"Kakazu. Captain Kakazu," he responded, suddenly looking a little sheepish. I put on my best smile.

"Well Captain, what do you purpose we do?"

"We?" Captain Kakazu asked. "I don't suppose you'll give me five minutes to find out who the _hell_ you are?"

"FBI, like my partner said," Inuyasha stepped in, and for a moment I froze. I told him not to talk! And I watched in horror as he stepped forward, until he was almost toe-to-toe with the captain. He was definitely taller than the man, and much stronger. I could hear the growl in Inuyasha's throat when he continued, "Now, are you going to help us finally put these disappearances to a rest or not?"

"And how do you purpose we do that?" the Captain said. "We've already caught the guy–"

"We know, but we also know that he'll be out soon. You've got nothing on him, am I right?" I started, looking around the department bored. The officers that surrounded me looked stunned, some a little annoyed. FBI never really had many friends. "He's got place and no alibi so he's got time, _and _opportunity, but you have no evidence, no motive and worst of all, he's pleading innocent."

"That sure as hell doesn't mean he is," Captain Kakazu spat, glaring at both Inuyasha and I. "I don't remember calling you down here either."

"Doesn't always work that way Captain." I nodded towards Inuyasha, who oddly seemed a little smug.

"It probably doesn't help either that your suspect is your daughter's ex-boyfriend," Inuyasha suddenly said, and I almost died. It was hilarious, explained a lot, but was not professional in any way. Grimacing and instantly stepping between Inuyasha and the now red-faced captain, I sighed.

"I'm sorry about that Captain Kakazu," I said immediately, trying to calm him down. "Look, all we want to do is talk to the suspect and get the coordinates for where the victims disappeared."

For a long moment, I thought the captain was going to punch Inuyasha in the face. He was so red and so angry he easily would've fit in those children cartoons.

"He lawyer'd up," Captain Kakazu hissed, glaring daggers at Inuyasha. "You can't talk to him until tomorrow but I'll have the locations given to you immediately. Don't move." Turning slowly, the captain made his last stare at Inuyasha before leaving for his office.

I waited until the captain was out of sight before whipping to face my loud-mouthed half-demon companion. "What the hell was that?" I demanded in a low voice, showing my irritation through my expression. "That was_ un_professional."

"Oh come on," Inuyasha teased, smirking down at me. "It was too good to pass up."

I held back the growl of frustration and turned just as Captain Kakazu was coming back, a file folder in his hands. He pointedly looked only at me. "Here they are, from the points of where they were last seen. It doesn't give you much though and there was no evidence suggesting they stayed there or went further."

I nodded. "I figured as much. You don't exactly keep tabs of hikers. Thank you for your time Captain. We'll keep you posted and see you tomorrow then?"

Clearly unhappy, the captain nodded. "If you must."

When we were in the car and on our way to Springer Mountain, the very beginning of the Appalachian Trail where the victims went missing, I explained to Inuyasha what typical protocol of an FBI agent was. He nodded in all the right places but I had the distinct feeling he was ignoring me. After an additional hour on the road, I was starting to get a bit annoyed. "Do you have a problem?" I asked suddenly, surprising even myself with how sarcastic I sounded.

Okay, so I was naturally sarcastic, but usually I tackled problems with a bit more finesse.

Inuyasha looked startled and turned quickly to face me. "No."

I raised a brow at him. Who did he think I was? He looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "Right... So, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing."

"Um, bull_shit_."

"Drop it wench."

"Nah-ah dog boy."

"I said drop it."

"And I said nah-ah. Spill."

"Never."

"Jerk off."

"Asshat."

"Asshat?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Look, it's nothing. Really. Humans are just stupid. I mean, can't they tell what's actually going on? They lock some guy up... Hell! It's not kidnapping, it's murder at this point. None of the victims turned back up and they have nothing on him. Doesn't that even clue them in the slightest that maybe it's something else?"

"You'll get used to the stupidity. Trust me."

"That's what I'm not looking forward to," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Welcome to the club. Now, look through that folder there, will you? The trail is around nine miles long, I think, so we should see how far in these people were last seen." I tried to get his mind focused back onto the work, because that was what we needed to do, but I couldn't help thinking to myself that maybe Inuyasha was just a little psychotic. He had the weirdest mood swings and the most intense presence I've yet encountered. He's disagreeable, a royal jerk, but he has moments were he's somewhat tolerable. Something was really off about him, and now that he was with me, it would be my personal mission to figure out what makes his mind tick.

Inuyasha sorted through some papers for a bit, scanning them over and I impatiently tapped my fingers on the steering wheel. How hard was it to find a number on the page? "All of them were last seen around a mile in."

"That's it?" I asked, looking thoughtfully out the front window. "A mile is nothing in comparison. Does it say by who?"

"Yeah," Inuyasha answered, giving a small smirk. "Jinenji Egawa, the suspect in custody."

I shook my head in disgust. "He was the last to see them so he was accused of kidnapping him. Idiots, all of them," I cursed, unhappy at how people could be so stupid. I understood why Inuyasha was so bothered by humans because honestly, I was too. And I was even one of them.

When we pulled into the small camp around Springer Mountain where the beginning of the trail was, trees of every kind surrounded us and families with young children bustled around. Cameras were flashing everywhere and kids' screams were heard for their parents, crying about either a sore ankle or a scary bug. I watched for a while as Inuyasha got out of the Corvette, grumbling about something else that I really couldn't care about. Pressing the button on the remote, I popped the trunk and pulled out both of our duffels. My pair of running shoes, track pants and sweater were in there, as well as the new similar outfit Inuyasha and I had purchased earlier for him. I slung it over my shoulder and locked the car. "You have the folder right?"

"Yeah, I got it wench," Inuyasha answered with no real heat, and I figured it was my new term of endearment. How freaking awesome.

At the beginning of the trail there was a large log cabin, people moving in and out with maps and souvenirs. Inuyasha and I followed the groups inside, instantly feeling the overbearing warmth as the overstuffed cabin surrounded us on all sides. I never thought of myself as a claustrophobic person, but the moment that door was closed I was slightly worried.

"Well you look a little too dressed up for trail hikin'," an elderly woman said, startling me. She was only around five feet, with greying hair and a fragile body. "Young lady I almost refuse to give you a trail guide if you go like that." She waved her hands at me and pointed, shaking her finger at me wildly.

Wow. For an elderly lady, she looked pretty threatening. She was glaring absolute daggers at me and her finger was so close to my face and I had to take a step back. The fact that I stepped away from an old woman was huge considering I don't even give a demon that. I usually charge ahead and then rip them apart.

"No, ma'am," I said immediately, if not a little too fast. "I'm Nazuna Orikasa, Federal Agent." I could feel Inuyasha brush against my side and I nodded towards him. "This is my partner Agent Ataru Takahashi."

"Why, don't you make a cute couple," the woman smiled, tilting her head. And then, it was like someone flipped a switch. "But I don't really care 'cause you're not hikin' like that."

I could tell just by the way that Inuyasha stepped back that she wasn't scary to just me. My slightly bruised ego felt a bit better after Inuyasha's reaction, but not by much. "No ma'am, we're federal agents. We just want to ask you a few questions. We have a change of clothes for hiking later."

"I beg your pardon, what did you say you were? Criminal agents?"

Oh dear lord. "_Federal _agents," I said through gritted teeth. "We want to ask you a few questions."

The elderly woman finally seemed to clue in and nodded, waving us with her arm to follow her. She led us through the busy cabin to a small door at the back. I felt claustrophobia close in even more when we entered the small room. Plants, pictures and little miniature sculptures of animals covered the room and it honestly felt like they were all just getting ready to leap on me at any second.

"You got questions about what?" the elderly lady asked, and I dropped my duffel bag on the floor before answering.

"First, you name, if you don't mind," I said, "and then questions about Jinenji Egawa and the disappearances of Katsuo and Yumi Watanabe."

"My name?" She seemed to cackle at this, shaking her head. "My name is Natsuko Fuji. I here own this place. Been given tours to families and the like for over a decade."

"And what about Jinenji Egawa? Did he work for you?" Inuyasha asked, leaning against the closed door. The look on his face suggested that he didn't like the confines of this place any more than I did. Double ha.

"For a good five years that boy did. Good boy too," Natsuko murmured. "If you're investigating the charges placed on him, I'll let you know that he didn't do it. That boy wouldn't hurt a fly, you hear me? A fly."

"And did you tell this to Captain Kakazu?" I asked, wondering how her opinion hadn't mattered. If this woman worked with the accused for five years, she should know more than anyone if there was anything suspicious about him.

Natsuko chuckled again, giving me a sly look. "Now Agent, do you really believe that old fart is going to listen to a word an old woman has to say?" She snorted in disgust. "That captain has been flailing around for some sort of clue or grasp on what's been going on since this started a year ago. Jinenji conveniently worked here and saw 'em last."

Inuyasha snorted much like the older woman had. "That's hardly anything to go on. Don't worry, that's why we're here."

I gave him a disapproving look, mainly because FBI Agents never question the ability or work of other officials, regardless of their level. Dumbass.

Whether he noticed my withering look or not, I wouldn't know because he continued on as if nothing happened. "Have you heard anything unusual? Do you know who could be kidnapping these people?"

Natsuko laughed again, and this time I almost jumped. Jesus fucking Christ this woman was off-balance. "Who? No. No. _What_ is the question."

"What?" I asked. "You don't think a human is doing this? An animal?"

"Darling, we ain't the only things on this planet," Natsuko murmured, more to herself than me. "Look, I can't help you there. I don't leave this cabin much other than to go home. Whatever is out there needs to be stopped. That's all this old woman knows."

"I think you know more than you give yourself credit for," Inuyasha said, pushing himself from the door to walk past me. His large frame made the elderly woman look insignificant, her head below his chest. "What did you see?"

"In the forest?" Natsuko asked, eyes guarded. "Nuttin'. But there are stories, you know? Old tales and the like. I don't listen much to 'em anyways. However... Sometimes, when I leave this place at night, I hear things."

"What kind of things?" I asked gently. "What do you hear?"

"Laughin'," Natsuko answered. "Little kids laughin'. That noise ain't right for ten at night with nuttin' around but forest."

Little kids laughing. That's more than just a little unusual. Demons only have two abilities when it comes to living among humans. They can either take possession of a body or mimic a body. Possession is harder for demons to do, but if someone tries to kill the human shell that they're inhibiting, it won't damage them at all. Mimicking a body is easier in most ways, but they make the most mistakes and if they are killed, they go back to Hell. The problem with the little children is that demons usually go for bodies that have power, because all demons crave some sort of control over some sort of system. Little children? Not high in the ranks I'm afraid.

"Thank you for your time Mrs. Fuji. We were wondering if there were bathrooms where we could change into our hiking gear?" I asked, already moving towards the door to get away from the suffocation of the room.

"So you are hikin'," Natsuko stated. "Go 'round back. There two of 'em there. You know that trail is nine miles long. You'll never finish before the sun goes down."

"Oh, we're only planning on walking the first two miles, thank you," I said, nodding at Inuyasha to get him to move faster. We almost made it out of her office when she called again.

"One of my boys is takin' a group out in a bit. They don't go past the one mile mark but, if you want, you can go with them. They'll give you a bit of history." Natsuko broke into another smile. "Maybe you'll find out what's goin' on in there."

"That would be great, thank you again," I replied, trying to sound grateful when really all I wanted to do was _breathe_.

Inuyasha and I booked it out of the cabin and I took a moment to saviour the fresh air. It was mid-afternoon, the sun still high in the sky and the trees were rustling with the August wind. "What do you think, dog boy?" I asked, shoving the duffel higher on my shoulder as we started to head around back.

"There are a lot of demons that prefer to kill children, but I don't know too many that take their form. You think she's right about this though? She seems a little insane," Inuyasha explained, raising a brow at me.

I grimaced. He had a point. "I'm not sure, but I guess that gives us something to look up." We entered the bathrooms and changed quickly, trying to make it in time for the guide. The moment we were both out and ready to go, the group that was being led away and was already entering the forest. We jogged to catch up, hardly listening to the guide as he talked about the forest and the dangers surrounding the place.

I rolled my eyes as he talked about wildlife, because seriously, that was the least of their worries. "Smell anything? Hear anything?" I asked, but Inuyasha only shook his head, eyes still roaming the forest.

For a solid five minutes I was busy searching for anything – any clue, any beep on my radar, any ominous change in the wind.

I got nadda. Zip.

Fuck.

"Mommy, flowers!" a little boy yelled and I watched as he ran past the trail guide, leading up to a patch where another little girl was already picking the flowers.

And that's when I heard it. _Beep. Beep. Beep._

Shit-fuck-damn.

"Inuyasha? Any sense at all?" I whispered. "It's coming." I looked in horror as the kids started innocently picking at flowers and I could only think how easy of a target they would be for a demon.

Shit shit shit shit shit.

I burst forwards, running as fast as I could towards them. The beeping got louder and faster, the bleeps in between starting to run into one long line like a death sentence. It was here.

Fucking hell what was I going to do in front of all of these people?

"Go to your mommy!" I yelled at the little boy as I reached him, putting a hand on his back to push him behind me. I looked up to find the girl, and almost gagged as I did.

That wasn't a fucking little girl.

Red eyes pierced through mine and I lunged forward, palm reaching out to purify it. All I saw in those nanoseconds was a wicked grin, a blink of red eyes and then nothing.

"Kagome," Inuyasha exclaimed, pulling me up and looking around the forest. "What the fuck–?"

I whipped around and watched as the little boy who had been picking flowers ran back to his mom, probably scared shitless by my actions. "Did you see her? The little girl?"

"Yeah, I saw her, why the hell – wench?"

I whipped around again, looking for signs of _anything_ in the forest but the beeping in my head was silenced. The fucking bitch was gone.

"She was it – that little innocent looking girl. She was the demon."

Inuyasha frowned. "That's impossible. I would've known... Smell at the very least. This demon must be able to protect itself from others."

"Well," I muttered, not pleased in the slightest with that bit of information. "Won't this be a fucking cakewalk?"

And in case you were wondering, yeah, that was fucking sarcasm.

* * *

**Sorry of the lack of update, and probable numerous mistakes in there.**

**I'd still appreciate a review if you're not mad :D**


	8. Like Frank and Joe

**To make up for my slowness, I will update this, another story and hopefully another chapter of Target Locked in the next couple days.**

**Also, I took a bit of poetic license here. I'm usually pretty accurate location wise and demonology wise (thank you Google Maps and various research methods) but there is a slight variation that I took.**

**By the way, the song below, if that doesn't make you want to cry every time, I don't know what song does. Such a depressing song.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Eight: Like Frank and Joe

* * *

**

"_Heaven's not a place that you go when you die. It's that moment in life when you actually feel alive. So live for the moment and take this advice: live by every word. Love is just a hoax so forget anything that you have heard. And live for the moment now."_

_-The Tide, Spill Canvas

* * *

_

"Any luck?"

"I'm sorry, were you asking if I was having any luck finding information on a demon that enjoys looking like innocent seven year-old girls and murdering people?" I'm sorry. I really should be more polite. "The answer is no."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me and raked a hand through his midnight black hair. "You're getting a little testy there wench."

"Bite me dog boy," I shot back, focusing my attention back on the laptop. We were relaxing in a diner and enjoying a late lunch. Miraculously there was a tiny bar of wireless, and instead of paying the bill for a motel with it, we decided to try and finish this hunt tonight before deciding to stay. I was clicking through a few more websites, most of which I had bookmarked. The sad thing about the internet was that the information on there about demons was mixed and jumbled at best because demonology was _fictional_ and therefore, crap could be made up about it with no repercussions. "This isn't helping," I finally said with a sigh. Nothing other than little-girl demon to help me with a search led to absolutely nothing at all.

"So what now?" Inuyasha asked, watching as the waitress came with our food and placed it before us. I looked at him for a brief moment, trying to think of our next move while I watched his eyes not too subtly look down the waitress' shirt. Not that she was being too subtle in flashing it right in his face.

I tried not to be disgusted. I really did.

I mean, _come on_, I'm right _here_. DUH. Female on laptop sitting _directly across from the fucking guy you're ogling bitch_.

That's disgust right there.

Nothing else.

"Are you done showing him your boobs? I mean seriously, since the street corner doesn't have good business, bringing it into a family diner is not the place to attempt prostitution. And if you're just simply trying to get a better tip, stop right there because I'm paying the bill. Oh, and my boobs are bigger. Sorry."

I don't know who was more startled, Inuyasha or Jenna Jameson.

For those of you that don't know, Jenna Jameson's a famous prostitute. You can't understand the pure awesomeness of my sarcasm without that knowledge.

"I'm sorry?" Jenna asked, rage literally oozing out of her.

"Bill please? Thanks." I grabbed a French fry from my plate and took a bite, smiling not-too-friendly.

When she stormed away, clearly pissed off, Inuyasha gave me a harsh look.

"Oh come _on_," I muttered, shoving another fry in my mouth. I chewed slowly, hoping to think of a reason for my outburst. "Look, she was practically taking your pants off. I'm right here. You can go have fun with whoever you want. Just not in front of me and _surely_ not when I'm paying."

Inuyasha stared at me for a moment longer, his amber eyes seeming to bore holes in my head. He didn't look angry, just...astounded. Suddenly, he burst out laughing, smacking the table hard with his fists and shaking. "You are fucking _insane_," he cackled, looking at me once more before bursting out in another set of fits. "Seriously wench. Chill out."

"You were totally eye-fucking her," I continued, rolling my eyes. "Again, on my time and my money. I disagree with that, but I'll let it slide because I never established this rule with you earlier."

Inuyasha's laughter quieted down for a moment, before he took another look at me and laughed again. "You're...hell wench."

"It's really not that funny," I whispered harshly. "Did you not see how she shoved her..._girls_ into your eye sockets? Are you _blind_?"

"You called her a prostitute," he chuckled, shaking his head.

"Not uncalled for."

He stared at me for a while, his amber eyes searching mine. Aw, fuck.

"Okay, so it was totally uncalled for," I conceded, drumming my fingers on the table. I thought about it for a moment more before turning back to my laptop and shutting it down. "Look, we'll finish up here and then go to the victims' home. They had an eight-year old daughter, though she's probably with someone else. We can case the house, see if there are any signs – or in your case smells – of demon problems. They live not too far from here, on Elm Street."

"Okay," Inuyasha agreed, grabbing his burger and taking a big bite.

We ate the rest of our meal in silence and I secretly laughed when another waitress dropped off our bill. Ha, I won bitches.

As we got up to leave, my stuff already packed and my keys in hand, Inuyasha led the way. We were just in the doorway when he turned around and smirked.

"By the way, you're right. Your boobs are much bigger."

A-fucking-mazing.

Thank you universe. Like I needed any more attention directed my way.

* * *

Elm Street wasn't exactly the prettiest street there was out there, but it wasn't bad. The houses were spaced out, all of which needed a good coat of fresh paint and a repaved driveway. We made our way to the Watanabe's home after a solid thirty minutes driving. Already in my stupidly tight skirt and high heels, I squirmed uncomfortably while waiting at a red light.

"So why do you want us to dress up if no one's going to be there?" Inuyasha asked, fiddling with his tie. He had the scowl back on his face, his nose scrunched while he tried to adjust the constricting material.

"Because there have been too many times where I'm casing a house and someone notices and calls the cops. If we're dressed for the part, we're more likely to get 'Hey, what you doing?' than 'Wilma, call the cops'."

"Wilma?" Inuyasha asked, frowning.

"The Flinstones? The cartoon?"

Shrugging, Inuyasha looked out the window.

"You never watched the Flinstones?" I exclaimed. Who hasn't seen the Flinstones? They're the _Flinstones_!

Inuyasha waved his hands up and down his frame. "Hello? Half-demon? I don't have a home, never mind a television set."

Touché.

I parked the Corvette across the street and cursed, looking at the car in the driveway discontentedly. "Aw, shit. Come on."

"Somebody's home," Inuyasha chimed, stepping out of the door. "Oh well, now we have someone to talk to. Maybe they were acting strange? Scared? I can still sniff out the place from the doorway."

I gave him a sour look before getting out myself, locking the car and following him to the front door. I watched as Inuyasha knocked, trying to get a feel for the surroundings. There was no beeping on my radar and nothing seemed to be standing out of the ordinary.

The door opened slowly and standing in the entrance was a middle-aged woman with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Hello? Can I help you?" she rasped out, looking at both Inuyasha and I.

I gave her a sympathetic look before pulling out my ID folder. "Ma'am, I'm FBI Agent Nazuna Orikasa and this is my partner, FBI Agent Ataru Takahashi." Inuyasha nodded beside me, his golden eyes searching the interior. "We're very sorry for your loss."

The woman nodded before standing to the side, motioning for us to come in. We did quickly, waiting for her to shut the door before continuing. "Are you staying with their daughter?" I asked gently, trying to look genuinely concerned. I felt horrible for the poor girl, not only because there was yet to be any closure but because she would never get it. People didn't understand demons, or the act of anything considered supernatural.

"Yes, I am. I'm her aunt. My name is Koume Watanabe, I am – was – Katsuo's older sister." She choked up a bit and I took that second to look around the house. Suddenly, my attention was turned to a room just barely in eyesight. A girl...

The girl stepped into the hallway and instantly I took a demanding step forward, my mind reeling. I felt Inuyasha's hand on the small of my back and I realized why.

There was no beeping in my head.

But I was damned sure. That's the little girl I saw. The little fucking demon girl.

With a quick glance towards Inuyasha, I noticed that he shook his head, looking towards Koume. "Ma'am, have you been here with their daughter this entire week?"

Koume nodded her head. "Yes, of course. I came the moment I heard, I mean – Akina has no other family."

Akina stepped forwards, her small pale face peering at them cautiously. Her hair was tied up in a long blonde ponytail at the back, her blue eyes teary. "Aunt Koume, who are they?"

_She's only an eight year old girl_, I reminded myself, wondering what the hell was going on. My radar would still be going off – albeit slowly – if this girl posed any danger. Inuyasha had shaken his head and that meant she wasn't a part of this at all. But that was _her_. That was the demon girl.

"They're, uh, detectives," Koume answered gently, reaching out an arm so that Akina could curl into her side.

"Like Frank and Joe?" Akina asked. Her childish voice sounded even smaller and her eyes brimmed with tears. "Are they going to help mommy and d-d-?" Before she could finish her sentence the little girl broke down and Koume wasted no time in picking her up and hugging her.

"I'm sorry," Koume whispered, patting the little girl's back. "We've both been through a lot. I've been watching movies with her, reading to her... The Hardy Boys is her new favourite."

"Oh," I nodded, finally understanding. Frank and Joe Hardy were detectives in the mystery series. I'd have to explain that to Inuyasha too.

"They'll fix it," Akina murmured against the older woman's shoulder. "If they're like Frank and Joe, they'll fix it. We even live on Elm Street."

"That's right, sweetie," Koume cooed, bouncing the girl up and down. "Is that everything or do you have more questions?"

"Just one," I replied, throwing another sad look. "Were either Katsuo or Yumi acting strangely? Scared? Angry? Were they having problems of any sort?"

Koume shook her head, and I watched in horror as a tear fell. "No, but I wouldn't know. I live far from here, and I was never really around – work and all."

Inuyasha opened the door. "Thank you for your time. Again, we're sorry for your loss."

Leaving the house, Inuyasha gave me a look that mirrored my own _what-the-fuck_ expression.

"Elm Street?" Inuyasha asked, looking at the closed door and then back to my face. "Frank and Joe?"

"The Hardy Boys," I answered. "It's a book series about two detectives. They lived on Elm Street. I guess Akina has at least some hope now."

"I would never have known that," Inuyasha growled, looking unhappy.

"So, possession?" I asked, trying to distract him from his lack of human knowledge. "She was possessed by the demon to kill her own parents and others?"

"No," Inuyasha replied. "I've only met a couple demons who use possession... it's not pretty, but it specifically smells. Not to humans, just demons. For a demon to get inside a body, they have to, uh, transfer themselves in a non-normal way."

I rolled my eyes. Way to fail at making it sound decent. I'd never seen demon possession, but if it was anything like when they left the bodies, it wasn't good. During a couple exorcisms I did, demons _transferred_ out of the body by turning into what I can only describe as fog. It's barely noticeable, and I've done a few with witnesses who swear they didn't see a thing. It's almost clear but there's a very heavy sensation and a slight breeze that comes from nowhere.

He continued. "When they're in that form, it's literally the very basic being a demon can be. Demons are only that basic in...well, Hell. The humans possessed smell like sulphur for a good week or two afterwards. That little girl Akina didn't smell like that at all."

"Can you do that?" I asked suddenly, urged to figure out something else about this half-demon. It was totally off-subject and uncalled for, I know.

Inuyasha shifted a bit and gave me a weird look. "No."

"Oh," I shrugged, unlocking the car and getting in.

I waited until he was inside, about to continue with our investigation when he spoke. "I would never want to change into that black shit anyways."

Quickly I got a look at his features before he turned towards the window. His eyes were guarded, the usual intensity I saw there completely gone. His hands occasionally clawed at his pants and I slapped them, sighing. "I don't know what you mean by black shit but don't ruin your pants."

"Haven't you seen demonic possession?" he asked, bewildered.

I shook my head. "Not yet. I've done exorcisms though where I've sent them to Hell."

"No black shit?"

"What black shit?" I exclaimed, starting the car before Koume got suspicious. I gave him another glance and saw that his cheeks were flushed. Was it me, or was he acting weird? Nothing made sense in my world anymore. Not that it ever actually did.

"The basic form? The black clouds with light shows? Dark and heavy matter?"

"Are you trying to talk about some rock concert, like what–?"

"You have to have seen it!" Inuyasha shouted, sitting back in his chair with his arms crossed. I don't know why he was so moody. Maybe he was suffering from CMS, which is a term I long ago heard. It's like PMS, only for men. Constant Menstrual Syndrome. Apparently, Inuyasha's having an episode right now.

"That makes no fucking sense though," he blabbed on, and I was just about to smack him on the head. He was rambling about something that didn't make sense but _obviously_ was right. And that didn't make sense to me so my instant reaction was to hit him into silence.

"Shut up!" I yelled, slamming my foot on the brake and sending Inuyasha a very large painful jolt forwards. It was better than punching him.

"What the fuck was that for?" Inuyasha barked, glaring at me.

"What the hell are you yelling about?" I asked, shouting just as loudly as he was.

Inuyasha bore holes into my head for a little while longer before relaxing back against the seat. "After the exorcism, do you feel wind? See anything not normal coming from the victim?"

"Obviously," I answered, checking my rear-view mirror and realizing there was a car coming. I started driving again, going nowhere in particular because we hadn't thought of our next move yet. "There's this sort of...fog? I guess. You can barely see it though, and sometimes there's a bit of an unknown breeze. That's it though. I'm usually more focused on the victim."

Inuyasha listened and then sat awhile in silence. "I guess," he started slowly, "that means humans can't see it."

"The black shit you were talking about?"

Inuyasha nodded. "That fog is actually pitch black. It looks almost like a thunderstorm because sometimes there are periods of flashing light. It's hard to explain. It's like the black smoke you get from a fire, only one-hundred times more condensed."

"And that sent you into a raging fit because...?" I asked, giving him a glare of my own.

"It's confusing."

"Try me."

Inuyasha smirked in my direction, his amber eyes burning again with that odd intensity that always struck me. "Nah. If I'm going to try you at anything it wouldn't be that."

I rolled my eyes. Typical.

"So what's next on our game plan?" Inuyasha continued. His voice was much lighter than it was before. Hopefully his panties were no longer in a twist.

"Finding internet," I answered. "We have another clue. This demon didn't possess their little girl Akina, so that means only one other thing: imitation. The demon, for whatever reason, disguises itself like a child."

We decided in the end to get a motel room, because even if we killed this demon like we planned to tonight, it would be far too late to drive and we would probably be in desperate need of a shower. Managing to find a rundown place with wireless was pretty hard to come by but we did it, and while Inuyasha was munching on candy from the vending machine, I was busy researching. So far, I'd looked at twenty different websites.

Nadda.

I clicked on a reference link from one of the demonology sites, which led me to yet another booklet of information. I sorted through it quickly, scanning the names of demons I already knew. And that's when I saw it.

"Inuyasha?" I asked, turning the laptop around on bed. "What do you make of this?" He was sitting at the little table across the room while I was researching on the bed.

Frowning, the half-demon skimmed the small paragraph and then looked at me sceptically. "Seriously? I've never even heard of that sort of demon before. And I'm a half-demon, so I would know."

"Neither have I, but I never knew half-demons existed until five days ago," I answered smoothly, turning the computer back to me. I started plugging in the word into another search engine, getting more and more results. "Acheri demons," I read, trying to skim the page as fast as I possibly could. "Where have you been all my life?"

Inuyasha snorted, shovelling another candy in his mouth. "Right. How do we kill it?"

"My powers," I murmured, reading more of the page. "We can weaken it with iron though. And we need to wear red string around our necks to stop it from killing us. Doesn't stop it from hurting us though."

"We don't even know what it _does_," Inuyasha remarked. "Kill? Kidnap? Torture?"

"Does it matter?" I demanded, clicking out of the browser and shutting my computer down. "It's a demon. We kill it. Hey bada-boom bada-bing."

It was Inuyasha's turn to roll his eyes at me and I laughed, feeling a little lighter than I had for a while. I took in our surrounding of the crappy motel room, the cheap bed, the unfortunate television set in the corner... How many times had I been in this position? How many times had I been alone?

The answer was too high of a number to count.

But this was different. Inuyasha was _here_. He wasn't exactly the best company, or the safest. He was a half-demon – something I had just heard of. He was loud-mouthed, difficult and a pain in the ass. And yet, how much happier was I? I was in a motel room and not contemplating firing off my gun just to make it a little different than the million other motel rooms I'd been in.

Let's just put it out there – that's a big fucking deal.

"Alright, you done stuffing your face with candy? We should go and get this over with."

Inuyasha smirked. "It's going to be dark by the time we get there."

"Aw, scared of the dark doggy boy?" I cooed. I grabbed the car keys and skipped out of the motel room before he could respond. I had just barely crossed the halfway point from the door to my car when I felt a punch to my shoulder and a gush of wind. Suddenly, Inuyasha was standing cheekily at the passenger side of the Corvette.

"Show off," I mumbled, knowing full well that he could hear me. The bastard.

"Hurry your ass up wench. We don't got all night."

Another smirk.

Yeah, yeah. Hi-fucking-larious.

* * *

To be honest, Inuyasha's midnight hair made looking for him in the pitch black nearly impossible. Thank goodness he was a demon and could hear me and my whispers, or else we'd be screwed.

"Can you smell anything?" I whispered quietly, trying to find Inuyasha's figure with my eyes. He was searching the other side of the path, but I couldn't tell where he was.

"No wench. Anything from the demon-o-meter?"

"Very funny. No."

We walked for another few moments in silence, only the occasional rustle of leaves indicating any movement on our part. We weren't even sure if this demon would show, but we had to try anyways. There didn't seem to be much of a pattern with this demon, other than attacking humans while looking like children.

And that was when I heard it.

_Beep_.

Motherfucker.

"Inuyasha," I whispered, almost silently.

_Beep. Beep._

I moved quickly to the inner part of the trail, making sure that my surroundings were in the clear. Being jumped in the middle of the trees was never a good idea.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeep._

"Fucking hell!" Inuyasha roared, and I listened as best I could before taking off.

"What's wrong?" I yelled, seeing the outline of his figure struggling on the ground to scramble up. Instantly, I felt ice tumble along my body and I reached out desperately to claw the thing that made me feel so cold. It was moving; from my back to my side to my head and I yelled out, hands flying to escape.

I could feel it as Inuyasha's body came towards me, and the gold of his eyes shining through as his hands pushed the coldness off my head. I tumbled backwards, falling to the earth and losing my breath.

"Kagome," Inuyasha's voice rasped out.

I leapt to my feet, seeing the shadows in the darkness. A female scream ripped through the air. "Dammit you little bitch," Inuyasha cursed from ahead. "Stay the _fuck_ down."

"Traitor," the girl screeched at Inuyasha and I ran towards them, palm up in front. "Traitor!"

"Shut the hell up," I hissed, finding them both on the ground. Inuyasha was pinning her down, the iron bar held tightly against her throat. I reached the demon girl's head, pulling the long blonde hair down as I sent my palm towards her chest.

"Die bitch," the little girl hissed and I jumped, taken aback by the fact that an eight year old was calling me a bitch.

"You first," I snapped, pressing hard, feeling the tendrils curl around my fingers. The black heart was pulsing to me, pulling, coming...

"Hell will have you...before Heaven," the girl spat before a piercing shriek filled the air.

I closed my fist, not wanting to hear anymore, not wanting to know anymore. Forget Hell. There was no such thing as Heaven. The scream of the little girl died out and I took in a deep breath, looking at the iron bar in Inuyasha's hands and then his golden eyes.

"You okay?"

Inuyasha just stared and I watched as his hand felt along his chest. He pulled away with blood leaking from his fingers. "Shit," he cursed. "Dammit."

"How bad?" I asked, feeling the cut with my own hands. It was just a small scratch near his left collarbone. It didn't even need stitches.

Inuyasha grunted and I pulled at his arm to get him moving, taking the iron bar from his grasp. The little girl's body slowly deteriorated to ash and I didn't wait to watch.

"I think... We should just wait here...in the dark," Inuyasha murmured, stealing his arm away so I was left with nothing but air.

I laughed. "Excuse me? Stay here? Did you not hear her screaming? Not like anyone lives around here but with all of the disappearances cops are bound to check up routinely."

"I like the dark."

"Good for you," I quipped, trying to get a hold on him. "Let's go to the car." I didn't wait; just started walking.

After a few moments of breathless silence, I heard Inuyasha's drudging footsteps scuffing the dirt.

Hah. I won.

The car was parked a bit away, buried in the trees along the isolated road. The darkness filled the air, the sliver of moon that barely shone hardly a light to go on. I didn't look back to see how far or close Inuyasha was, but I knew he was somewhere behind. I unlocked the car and opened the trunk, shedding my sweater and dumping it in there. The iron bar clattered next to the pile. The small interior light of the trunk gave me just enough to see the tree line and the mysteries around me.

"Take off your shirt. If we get pulled over I don't want anyone to see the blood," I told Inuyasha, propping open the secret section and pulling out my gun. I checked the bullets, making sure everything was in perfect order to prepare for the worst.

When Inuyasha didn't do as I said, I turned around.

And screamed like a pansy.

My gun was in front of me, the safety flicked off before I could even think about it. "What the fuck? Inuyasha, what's going on? What happened? Are you feeling okay?"

Inuyasha groaned, his hands flying up to the top of his head to cover the triangles there. "No, wench. Put the damn gun down!"

"No! What the _fuck_?" I yelled, taking a step back. "Inuyasha, move your hands. If the Acheri demon did anything to you, I need to know _now_."

"It's not the fucking Acheri demon!" Inuyasha snapped back. "It's me! Kagome, it's me!" Slowly, he lowered his arms, his hands uncovering the two white triangles on top of his head.

They twitched towards me before flattening to his head.

_Inuyasha smirked. "It's a secret, but if you're lucky I'll show you sometime."_

No fucking way.

He had dog ears.

_Fuck my life._

Never mind. That doesn't even cover it.

* * *

**Yay! Ears!**

**I thought of this the moment I came up with this story. I've been dying to write it!**

**Please review and let me know of mistakes, what you think, problems, questions, etc.**

**Thank you for all of the reviews so far too! You're all amazing!**


	9. McYummy

**I wanted to have this up sooner but I've pulled two all-nighters and I think that I may soon pass out for good. So forgive me, I never try to be really slow.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Nine: McYummy

* * *

**

"_So tell me now, if this ain't love then how do we get out? Cause I don't know. That's when she said 'I don't hate you boy I just want to save you while there's still something left to save'. That's when I told her, 'I love you girl but I'm not the answer for the questions that you still have'."_

_-Savior, Rise Against

* * *

_

"Y-Y-You have _dog ears_?" I stuttered out, completely taken off guard. I wasn't sure what to do. Look at them? Touch them? Shoot them?

The latter made the most sense.

I wheeled around, firing at the first tree that made my line of sight and took a deep breath as the aftershock rippled through my body. Okay.

Now that that was over...

"What the fuck are you doing?" Inuyasha yelled, his hands once more covering the white fuzzy triangles. "Were you going to shoot me?"

I was trying very hard to hold on to my last string of resolve. I didn't like surprises and this definitely qualifies as a surprise. "No. If I wanted to shoot you, you'd be currently bleeding and – apparently – deaf."

Inuyasha stared at me, and his burning eyes searched my obvious tense posture and expressionless face. I long ago learned to not show fear and I was fucking terrified. Ears? Ears? Who the hell has ears? Demons do, yeah. But they look like humans until I kill them and they usually disappear after that. Okay, so sometimes they look like ugly monkeys or frogs or flowers. Who really cares? But Inuyasha wasn't dying and resorting to his _demon-like_ form. He just...had dog ears.

Where the fuck did they even come from?

"So..." Inuyasha started slowly, shifting from one foot to the other.

"Take off your shirt, throw it in the trunk. Get in the car."

Inuyasha frowned. "You don't want to–?"

"Now dog boy," I snapped, turning on my heel and marching into the car. I revved the engine, waiting for Inuyasha to get in before taking off and accelerating as fast as I possibly could. Thank god for Corvettes.

We drove in silence until we made it back to the motel, and I wasted no time in getting from point A to point B in a matter of seconds, slamming the motel door hard after Inuyasha sauntered in.

"You're going to kill me, aren't you?" Inuyasha asked, looking at me seriously.

I nodded. "Thinking about it."

"I told you I'd tell you one day," Inuyasha reminded me, sitting on the edge of his bed and rubbing the back of his neck.

"So what does it? I know that it's a spell that hides your ears. What kind of spell?"

Inuyasha looked sheepish. "Not really sure. I was really young." He must have seen how tense I was because he quickly threw his hands out as if in surrender. "Look, it's obvious why I put myself under this spell, isn't it? I mean, silver hair and these eyes are bad enough, but dog ears?"

"They kind of look like cat ears," I quipped, interrupting him.

Inuyasha growled. "Take that the fuck back."

"When you explain to me everything – now," I hissed, sitting down on my own bed. The gun was sitting in its holster on the side of my hip. If there was something the least bit unnerving or hellish, at least I could throw him out. I still couldn't wrap my head around ears. Ears!

Inuyasha sighed. "I grew up alone," he started, looking at the carpet. "My mom was human, dad was a demon. You know how it works..."

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait, wait," I interrupted, shaking my head. "Demons can't reproduce."

The half-demon before me looked up and down his body. "Apparently not."

Sarcasm used against me was _so_ not the best idea right now. Inuyasha obviously got the point.

"Look, I don't know how it happened since I was the one being conceived. Okay? Don't blame me. Anyways, my mom lived for a couple years before she died. I was with her all the time, kept in isolation because I couldn't go out in public. She did the best she could...really..." He sighed. "She started getting really sick, and there was nothing I could do. I haven't even been in the outside world before and all of a sudden, the only world I had was deteriorating.

"One night, I think two or three days before my mother passed, a friend of ours came over. Usually I hid in my bedroom upstairs but she called me down. My mother told me that she was some sort of witch. She wanted to make sure that when she was gone, I had every fighting chance to help myself. She painted this ink on me, but I couldn't see it – it was clear. She chanted something and all of a sudden, they were gone."

"And yet, they're here," I remarked, shaking my head. "What did she chant? What language?"

"It was almost twenty years ago," Inuyasha snapped. "I don't know."

"What kind of symbol is it?" I asked, slowly trying to figure out how I felt on the issue. Clearly, there was no danger. Invisible ink on his skin and a spell only hide his ears and nothing else. There should be nothing to worry about.

"It's invisible. I don't know."

Helpful.

"So why now? Why must your ears appear now?"

Inuyasha sighed, his hand crawling its way up his chest to the small scratch. "When the Acheri jumped me, I fell on a couple branches and rocks. One of them must have cut me and right here, from my collarbone to about three inches down is the tattoo."

Oh. Okay. I could deal with that. "So when the tattoo got cut, it made the symbol incomplete. The ears come back from their Houdini act."

Inuyasha frowned. "Houdini?"

Ah fuck. "Never mind. So what do we do now?"

"Wait it out until it heals," he answered simply, shrugging. "So, about an hour."

I muttered something about stupid quick healing, but Inuyasha didn't make any further comment. "You hungry?" I asked, exasperated. It was nearing midnight but neither of us had eaten any dinner. "We can stop and get some fast food, look for another case?"

A small smirk and a nod, Inuyasha stood up and reached in his duffel bag for another non-bloody t-shirt. "But what are we going to do about my ears? Not like anyone's going to see, but at the drive-thru window there's still some light."

"Don't worry." I leaned down into my own duffel bag and pulled out a black and red baseball cap. "Here you go dog boy. Flatten your cat ears so it doesn't hurt."

Inuyasha growled and swiped the hat from my hands angrily. "Stupid wench."

"Oh, did I say cat ears? Sorry." But my sarcasm couldn't be beat.

* * *

Two days of fucking driving and I was skilfully plotting Inuyasha's demise.

Thirty-seven hours. That's how long it takes to get from Blue Ridge, Georgia to Wadsworth, Nevada. Dear fucking lord. Kill me now.

Okay, so it wasn't really _that_ bad, but it was pretty damn close. Inuyasha wasn't the sit still type and while I was more than happy blaring music and singing along, he didn't appreciate it.

"Remember when you saw my ears?" Inuyasha pressed, scowling at me. "They pick up anything and everything. It's bad enough when it's just the music but you singing–"

"Are you saying you don't like my singing or my music?" I asked, taking in the landscape outside. I'd only been around Nevada a couple times, but it still had me a bit confused. I wasn't used to the idea of a desert, or the fact that everything was dirt, sand and more dirt and sand.

"I don't mind it...when you're far away and not screaming in my ear." Inuyasha gave a wicked smirk before looking out the window as well. "So, what do you think is going on here?"

"Honestly, I don't know," I answered, going through the facts again. Inuyasha and I had found this in an obituary on some international news site. The words 'mysterious death' followed in an article later on, and since the woman had only been twenty-two, it was enough to look into. It was clear on the three paragraphs written about the tragic death that police were dumbfounded. The first thing to do was go to the station, then the morgue, and then if we still didn't know, the victim's home. "Oh, um, Inuyasha?"

The half-demon grunted as a way of acknowledgement. Charming fellow wasn't he?

"Have you seen a dead body before?"

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Yeah."

"All cut up and stuff? Like, organs scattered in jars? Skin ripped from skull? Massive pliers snapping ribs?"

A look of instant horror crossed his features, almost too quickly for me to pick up. The second I recognized it, the second it was gone and I was left with Mr. Cocky. "No, but what the hell do you think I am? Are you thinking I can't handle it?"

Ooh. Touchy. "No, no," I cooed, smiling at him sweetly and blinking innocently while we were stopped at an intersection. "You can handle anything Superman."

"Only you could make that sound degrading," Inuyasha mumbled. "Probably the only action hero I know and you ruin it for me."

I laughed, stepping on the accelerator and getting on the ramp for the I-80. We still had a little ways to go, only because the police department was located in Reno. Dry sands and desert landscape seemed to blur into one massive _brown_ thing so that by the end of the thirty minute drive I had no clue how the hell I got there.

We were changing, Inuyasha shifting out of his new jeans near the trunk while I rearranged myself in the front seat.

"So, what do you think the Acheri demon meant?" Inuyasha asked. His voice startled me and I snapped my head towards him. I had purposely pushed the haunting words to the back burner in my mind. It only figured that Inuyasha would bring it up.

"Like what you see?" he quipped, waving at me.

I realized that I was staring at him like an idiot, not even noticing his topless and – wow – hot body since I had been lost in my own mind. "Um, yeah. I mean, ew, no. Loser." I turned around, my eyes widening as I replayed what I just did. Could I be any lamer?

"Hello?" Inuyasha asked, and I could tell that he was trying to suppress a laugh through tight lips. "Are you going to answer my question?"

I had to seriously think for a moment about what his question _was_ before my brain finally started firing on all cylinders and I remembered. "Not really. Heaven doesn't exist so I conclude that it was on crack."

Inuyasha snorted. "Demons don't do drugs. They don't need them. You decent?"

I finished the last button on my blouse before nodding, waving him over and stepping out of the car. I dragged the suit jacket from the passenger seat and tugged it on, buttoning it up. "Look. I really don't know, okay?"

Inuyasha frowned. "I'm sorry, but were you not there when you had a PMS attack and started bawling all over me while in the shower? Or was I dreaming?"

I scowled at him, wishing I could shoot lasers out of my eyes and into his stupid big head. "I was there."

"And I promised we would figure out how to get Heaven to let you go," Inuyasha snapped. "Wait, did you say you don't _believe _in Heaven? I'm sorry, did I hear that right?"

Oh great. Just what I needed. "If there really was a Heaven, I wouldn't be put through his _hell_ every day. If there was a God, people wouldn't die. If there was anything...any greater being out there...none of this would be happening. The world would be safe and happy and well and–"

"You know that's bullshit," the half-demon interrupted. "And you have holy powers. How can you not believe in Heaven?"

"I don't know what I believe!" I snapped, shaking my head and growling. I slammed the car door shut, tugged at my stupidly tight skirt and locked the vehicle. "Let's go."

"Oh no," Inuyasha said, chasing me. I tried walking faster, and I was unusually fast for half-jogging in high heels. "The Acheri demon said that Hell would have you before Heaven. What does that mean?"

I sighed. He really wasn't going to let this go. "It means that demons are going to kill me and drag me to Hell before Heaven is finished with me."

"Finished meaning 'free from holy powers', right?"

I nodded. "Exactly."

Inuyasha seemed to be finally satisfied and we walked the rest of the way to the Reno police department in silence. Well, except for my curses as I stumbled on loose rocks from the fucking desert. And Inuyasha's laughter at my epic failure.

Entering the Reno police department was much different than the Blue Ridge PD. Bodies bustled everywhere, brown uniforms mingling like the sand grains outside blowing in the wind. I was disoriented, a frown lining my face and I made my way to the more central part of the office. "Excuse me?" I called out, waiting patiently for someone to notice me. It took a second, but finally a short woman in her mid-thirties came forward. "Hi," I started, motioning for Inuyasha to pull out the ID folder. "I'm Suijin Katsuki, and this is Hiten Nobutoshi. We're federal agents."

"Oh," the woman said, looking taken aback. Her eyes wandered through the busy crowd before finally she pointed at a set of shaded doors. "Sheriff Yanaka is in there. I assume you want to talk with him."

I thanked her and took the lead, trying not to get elbowed in the face by the much taller men as I stumbled towards the doors.

"What the hell kind of place is this?" Inuyasha mumbled behind me and I smiled.

"Not our kind, that's for sure."

I knocked several times, again waiting for someone to answer. The door opened moments later, a man in his forties with dark hair and green eyes standing in the entrance. He looked at both Inuyasha and I, somewhat suspicious and somewhat confused as he took in our professional appearance. "Can I help you?"

"Sheriff Yanaka, I'm Agent Nobutoshi and this is my partner, Agent Katsuki," Inuyasha started, almost making me fall over. He _never_ listened did he? Ever? Had I not made it clear several times that _I_ took the lead? Was I not the _teacher here_?

"FBI," Sheriff Yanaka said, nodding his head respectively. "What are you doing this far away in the desert?" He put on a grin and gestured for us to enter his office. "Please sit," he instructed, waving his hands at the two leather chairs. He sat opposite to us at his desk, leaning back. "I take it you're here on our series of mysterious deaths, huh?"

I nodded for two reasons. One, I had no clue there was more than one victim of mysterious death, which was bad for Inuyasha and I. Two, I was wondering why this man was so relaxed to see two FBI agents. We hadn't even flashed our badges. Red flags were going up everywhere, but I trained myself to push past and figure things out before escaping too soon. "Yes, the mysterious deaths. The most recent being Botan Nishimura, correct?"

Sheriff Yanaka nodded, rubbing at his face and turning his eyes to the far wall. "I don't know how to explain it. These women... It's disturbing what happens. I mean, the coroner almost pissed himself when he did the autopsy. I mean no heart? And literally no surgical lines, cuts! Nothing to suggest it was removed in anyway. The body looked picture perfect until you took a peek inside."

No _heart_? No _marks of losing a heart_?

Yeah, this was definitely going to top my really bad cases.

I glanced towards Inuyasha, who didn't make any expression other than that of boredom. Well, he got that FBI characteristic down pat. "Where is her body?"

"I'll write the address," Sheriff Yanaka said breezily, grabbing a notepad and scribbling numbers. "Both of the bodies are there – Botan Nishimura and Momiji Kikuchi." He took a couple seconds, his hand stilled over the yellow paper as if in thought. He looked slowly towards me, his green eyes piercing like emeralds. "If you could, and I know you will, but help me get this wrapped up quick? Momiji Kikuchi never had any family but Botan Nishimura... I've met her mother a couple times to ask questions. She's not doing so well – real ill. I was hoping to wrap it up as fast as possible to have a service before, well, you know."

"If you can give us copies of your files, we can sort through them by tonight hopefully. We'll try and get this done quickly, I can assure you that." _Yeah, before the real FBI agents show up. _It was a possibility that I had to consider. The sheriff was obviously not worried or upset by our presence, and that usually meant he was expecting us. Us meaning FBI agents.

Which we are not.

We could literally only have one day to wrap this up. Fuck.

The sheriff nodded. "I have a fair amount of paperwork, and the autopsy report for the latest victim is coming in tomorrow morning. Would it be possible to head this way tomorrow? I can set up a room for the both of you as well."

"Thank you," I answered, nodding and doing some serious acting to not cringe. This was getting really bad. However, you can't just say 'no' to a room. FBI agents don't say no.

"Would you happen to have the address of the latest victim, Botan Nishimura?" Inuyasha asked suddenly. "If you don't mind, we'd like to talk to the family ourselves and cross-check with the paperwork tomorrow."

"Alright," Sheriff Yanaka agreed, his face going pale. "But please, be gentle. Mrs. Nishimura hasn't being doing so well – like I said." He sighed and grabbed the paper he slid over to me earlier with the morgue's address, finishing up the information that Inuyasha requested. "Anything else I can do for you?"

"No, that's great. Thank you," I reassured him, holding out my hand and shaking his with a firm grip. Inuyasha followed suit and both of us were out of the building as fast as we could get.

"I take it from the look on your face right now that this is not a good thing going on," Inuyasha noted, bumping into me and sending me on a rant of curses while I stumbled on gravel with my heels.

I glared at him before answering. "No. It's not good. He was too calm and too helpful. He's probably called help from the real FBI, which means we don't have a lot of time to figure this out. Not only that but he seems to want reoccurring appearances."

"And considering we totally ditched the department in Blue Ridge after ten minutes, it's safe to say that going back isn't a good plan."

"Hey," I said, giving a small smile. "You're actually learning." In retaliation for earlier, I went to bump his shoulder, putting my weight on my left side and hitting him.

What I wasn't expecting was to go flying because he moved as much as a six-foot-tall boulder would (which is _not at all_) and I bounced right off of him. Which led me to land in a patch of sand or dirt or whatever the hell this place was made of and trip, catching my balance at the very last second.

"Smooth Kagome."

"Shut up."

So we head back to the car. I stuck out my tongue behind his back and he flipped me off when he thought I wasn't looking. Really, our partnership was very stable.

"So, since it's getting late and the autopsy report won't be in until tomorrow, we should go visit the Nishimura house," I started, pushing the button to get the Corvette purring.

Inuyasha shut his door and leaned back. "Yeah, I guess, but I'm starving."

"It's not even dinner time, and we ate before we got to Reno," I reasoned, already shaking my head. "You can wait another hour or so... Can you play pool? Poker?"

"I'm sorry, what?" Inuyasha asked. "You're obviously a woman since you can't stay on one topic long enough to make it a real conversation."

"Sexist pig," I muttered, knowing he'd hear it.

"Wench."

"Dog boy, stop yapping." I shifted gears and started driving, taking off a little faster than I should have, leaving Inuyasha to roll his eyes at me.

"You're so immature."

I laughed. "Right, I'm the immature one."

Snorting decisively, Inuyasha crossed his arms, staring at me with those stupidly insane amber orbs. "So, why did you want to know?"

"Because we need cash. We can pay for the big things on credit card scams, but I generally pay cash for food. And we have...I think thirty dollars left." I turned quickly to gauge his facial expression, instantly getting sucked in by gold and having to force myself back to the road.

"I've never played, but I could try," Inuyasha suggested, shrugging. "I know a lot of demons do it. The extrasensory things and such."

I shook my head, trying to imagine Inuyasha learning to play poker on the first hand. Dear lord, we'd be broke in seconds. "No, that's okay. You can be my prop."

"Excuse me? Your _prop_?" He practically snarled the words, clearly unhappy that I was dominating and wearing the proverbial pants in our relationship.

"Yeah, that's what I said," I replied sweetly. "I'll play poker and you'll be my worried husband, who's afraid I'm far too rash for my own good. You'll make everyone think I suck and then, with your ears, you can listen around. Usually some guys have girlfriends or hook-ups that hang around, and I know that most of them talk about their boy's hand."

"Worried husband?"

"Oh don't worry hubby, you'll be fine."

"When we get to the house, I'm going to destroy you."

Oh, I'm shaking. "Just, give me the address, will you?"

It took twenty minutes to figure out where we were headed and then another ten to get there. The house was small, surrounded by _brown_ that seemed to just engulf everything in sight. The shutters were closed, making it look abandoned in the desert. I slowly pulled over to the side of the gravel road, rolling down the window to the heat. "Well that's it."

Inuyasha frowned. "Doesn't actually look inviting."

"Oh, come on doggy demon," I cooed, patting him in the shoulder before stepping out – carefully, so not to die on the gravel once more. "Be big and brave and _strong_."

He made a face at me, which to my great disappointment still made him look really attractive. I sighed, really wondering why the universe would put me in this position. I mean, sending me a half-demon to kill? Understandable. A half-demon to train? A bit of a stretch, but there's always a reason why that I have yet to discover. A half-demon to train that was very gorgeous? Well, that's a big _fuck you_ ain't it?

Hmm. We did need to get some money, which I did at bars. So, maybe I could go alone, leave Inuyasha to plot my death or whatever and then actually hook up with someone.

Relax.

Not be super-stressed woman that slays demons for a living and works with a bitchy half-dog demon that doesn't even know who the Flinstones are. Or Houdini for that matter. I'm not sure which is worse.

Walking up the steps to the porch, Inuyasha nodded at me before I rang the doorbell. It was silent for a long while, the heat clinging to my clothes and making me wish I had a summer outfit on. This suit was far too tight for my liking, even though I bought it with that in mind. Captains don't like FBI agents, but they like cleavage. Well, the male ones do anyways.

The door opened, and before I could further think of the blistering heat, cool air washed over me. In the entranceway stood a man in his mid-twenties, with sandy brown hair and gentle brown eyes. He instantly flashed a shy smile my way, and I honestly couldn't repress my own.

"We're Agents Katsuki and Nobutoshi. We're here to talk to Mrs. Nishimura," Inuyasha said briskly. "And you are?"

I turned around to frown at him. He was being a bit...too professional. He didn't have to be _rude_. The guy looked so nice and all. And adorable.

"Hi, sorry, come in," the man said, gesturing for us to step into the air conditioned hallway. "My name is Hojo Ueda. I'm sort of the local doctor."

"Sort of?" Inuyasha snorted, giving a rather pointed look.

Wow. Okay. Someone is having a mood swing.

Hojo looked a bit sheepish, his hand reaching up to rub the back of his neck. "Well yeah. There's not much in the way of doctors here since the town is only a couple hundred people big. I never went to med school, but I do naturopathic work."

"Really?" I asked. His smile was really adorable, and he met my gaze briefly before dropping it and biting his lower hip. "I'm sorry, but we are here to see Mrs. Nishimura. Are you taking care of her?"

Hojo nodded, his calm features darkening. "Yeah. Well I'm trying to. I've urged her to go to a hospital, or an actual clinic. There's only so much I know to do, but she won't listen. She's...given up after Botan passed."

"Did you know her?" Inuyasha demanded, taking a step forward and looking a little _too_ intimidating. I mean, yeah, we're FBI but no, not really. He didn't have to become all macho man. Hojo looked about as innocent as a fruit fly and my half-demon companion wasn't sending me any signals that he was _our_ problem.

"Not well I'm afraid," Hojo answered, seeming completely relaxed despite Inuyasha's tone. He shrugged. "I came around once or twice, but I never really saw the family until she passed. Would you like to see her? She may be sleeping, but obviously your business is urgent."

Inuyasha nodded. "Please."

I shot him a glare when I caught his eye, trying to understand the emotions that were flooding in there. The funny thing was that usually I could get some _grasp_. Right now though, he was like a blank white wall. I couldn't read a thing.

"Agent Katsuki, right?" Hojo asked, turning towards me with another shy smile.

I nodded. "Yes. Call me Suijin, please."

"Alright then." His smile couldn't get any sweeter. I really wanted to know what made him look so happy. Call me crazy, but this is the first time in a while that I've actually wanted to stick around long enough to learn about someone. It wasn't like Inuyasha enjoyed heart-to-hearts. Suddenly, I felt warmth around my lower back, and I could feel Hojo's hand gently pressure me to move forwards. "This way."

Hmm. Isn't there a show out where the different doctors have different nicknames? Like McDreamy, or McSteamy or McHottie or McFuckme or something?

Well. He was definitely a McSweetie.

He turned to give another small smile and I smiled back.

Maybe McYummy would be better.

And I'm pretty sure I was imagining it, but I think dog boy behind me was growling.

* * *

**I've been waiting to write the next two chapters for FOREVER. Oh my goodness. I am so excited to write them. This should be updated rather quickly. But Target Locked is first.**

**Please review and let me know what you think!**


	10. What's Up, Doc?

**UGH. Everything went SO SLOW these past two weeks. But now, I literally have no excuse for being late. I'm done school with the exceptions of my exams starting on the 14th of April. So. Kick my ass if I'm taking forever? Thanks.**

**By the way, I now have an "Author's Update" section in my profile. This is a more accurate description of how far along I am on each of the three stories. I'll update that fairly frequently so you know how long I'm taking.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or _All or Nothing_ by Cher.

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**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Ten: What's Up, Doc?

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"_Well, I work all day and fight all night with my girl who I treat right. Maybe just one day she'll go on and marry me. Well the meals ain't made and the dishes ain't done; just a whole lot of hurtin' for everyone. Hell just ain't the same without you babe. Oh, well Hell just ain't the same without you babe."_

_-Hell Just Ain't the Same, Theory of a Deadman

* * *

_

Okay, so dog boy _was _growling.

Well what the _hell_ is his problem?

"Mr. Ueda," I said, tilting my head. "Could you give us a moment please?"

Hojo had stopped us in front of two large bedroom doors. Inside was Botan's mother, and as much as I wanted to ask the damn questions and go, I really needed to figure out why Inuyasha was so upset. While McYummy seemed to be completely oblivious as to the reason why, he nodded. "Of course. I'm just going to check on her before you come in there. Just knock."

Waiting until he slipped into the peaceful room beyond, I spun on my heels with what must look like the most confused face in the world. I mean, looking at Inuyasha now I could see the hard lines of his face, the clamped jaw and his eyes... Jesus, they weren't entirely gold. I took a step closer, his almost inaudible growl getting louder.

Holy shit, fuck, damn. His eyes were traced with red, the colour lining the beautiful melted amber. It wasn't enough for me to withdraw my gun, but it was enough that I quickly backed off.

"Inuyasha, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with Mc – uh – the doctor?" I coughed a bit, trying to hide my clear discomfort on the fact I almost blabbed my thoughts like an idiot.

For a long moment, Inuyasha did nothing but stare at the bedroom doors, shooting daggers. I waited it out, unsure of what else to do. I mean, he was half-demon. I couldn't purify him. Salt couldn't purify him. Hell! I didn't even know how to kill the bastard if he went off the deep end.

"I don't like him." The words seemed to bounce around in my head like an echo, breaking down and fragmenting over and over until it didn't make sense.

"I'm sorry, but what?" That was it? Inuyasha just didn't like him?

Inuyasha took a step towards me, his body inches from mine. He glared at me, like I was the problem and for the first time I actually wanted to run away or take a step back. Instead, I held myself straight and I stayed planted to the spot. I had a gun in my holster that was hidden under my skirt, if that action was necessary.

"Something's not right with him," Inuyasha clarified, still keeping the short distance, still staring at me like blinking would mean the end of the world. "He's...off."

I frowned, escaping his gaze and looking at the bedroom doors. "Anything specific? Smell?"

A pause, and then he shook his head. "No."

"Then...what makes him seem odd to you, because I think he's pretty normal," I countered. I dared to meet his gaze again. "Anything else? Anything worth looking into him for?"

"He's weird."

I nodded. "A perfectly viable excuse to stalk someone," I muttered, sarcasm laced in my voice. "He's shy. He's the exact opposite of you Mr. Cocky."

"Great. Make this about me," Inuyasha snapped, tone in a low hiss. "There's no evidence, no. There's nothing other than this weird feeling that he's not right."

This couldn't be happening. Of course the only guy for what, _days_, that I had considered attractive (besides my half-demon companion) is tied to something sneaky. Potentially. This was Inuyasha's gut talking, and I hadn't had a lot of experience with it. But I couldn't just ignore him because I wanted to have a nice time with someone normal. Go to the movies, have dessert, dance or something, I don't know! What do normal people do anyways?

"I'll keep him in mind then," I told him, trying to keep my expression still from the clear disappointment that was there. For once in my life, I would like to have a relationship. Someone that would at least care about me – not necessarily love me, because that can't happen – for a couple days. And he seemed like a really nice guy. Hojo seemed like someone who would understand that I had to go, but take the time to get to know me anyways. Not ignore me. Not give me the cold shoulder.

Inuyasha growled again, but it was short lived. "Yeah, oh I bet you will."

Before I could say anything back, he stomped around me and knocked on the door, bursting in seconds later without care.

Why me?

I followed behind him, since there was nothing else I could do. A woman in her fifties was lying peacefully on her bed and Hojo was sitting beside her, eyes wide with Inuyasha's brash appearance. Pushing past Mr. Bitchy-Mood, I walked over to the woman's beside, noticing her frail body and trembling hands.

"Mrs. Nishimura," Hojo whispered soothingly, patting her hand and holding it to the duvet cover. "These are FBI agents. This is Agent Katsuki and her partner Agent Nobutoshi. They want to ask you some questions."

"Will you find who did this to my daughter?" Mrs. Nishimura rasped. It sounded like she hadn't had anything to drink for days, the hoarse grit of what would normally be a melodic voice.

I nodded, trying to give a small smile. "I will. I promise. Can I ask you a couple questions, please? If you don't mind?"

Mrs. Nishimura nodded, relaxing almost instantly against the covers. "Anything."

Inuyasha came closer, his shoulder barely touching mine as he leaned down. "Was your daughter, Botan, acting strangely the week or so before?"

I noticed that he specifically didn't mention before _her death_, and I was grateful that his emotions were subtle enough for her.

The older woman shook her head, a frown lining her pale features. "No. She was her normal, happy self. Botan, she was so full of life. I can't believe..." Pain crossed her features, and I intervened quickly, hoping to slow it down.

"Was she friends with Momiji Kikuchi?"

"Momiji? I...I'm not too sure. She never spoke too much about her friends, she was always at work. Isn't she...Isn't Momiji the other young woman who was, well..."

I sighed and held out my hand to touch her wrist. "Yes. We're sure the two may be connected. We're hoping if we can figure out how, then we'll find who did this."

Mrs. Nishimura nodded. "My Botan...She worked at PJ's Bar, down on East Newlands. I know she talked and kept up with people there."

"Was there anything strange that she had mentioned recently? Anyone giving her problems?" Inuyasha asked, his long black hair flowing over his shoulder. I couldn't help but notice how gentle he looked, even though moments ago he was so angry and so ridiculously _stupid_.

"No, I promise, there was nothing. She was just...gone..." Her lips tightened and instantly I took a step away, feeling like I had crossed a boundary that shouldn't have been crossed. I had talked to a lot of grieving members of family and friends, but it never got easier. Nothing really about this job got easier.

"Thank you so much for you time," I murmured, patting her hand and giving her a reassuring smile. "We'll find out who did this."

The problem with that statement is that we would. There was no doubt that we would find the monster who killed Botan and Momiji. The thing was Mrs. Nishimura would never know because she would never understand demons existed.

And this was definitely a demon. The body intact but the heart gone? Something really big was happening with this case.

Inuyasha and I started back towards the front, neither of us talking because Inuyasha was still in a snit and I, well, I didn't want to deal with his PMS-y state.

"Suijin!"

I turned around, almost at the door when Hojo called. Inuyasha was doing that growling thing again and I felt like whipping around and telling him to Go Mat or Play Dead or something that would make him _shut the fuck up_. "Yes, Mr. Ueda?"

"Uh," Hojo faltered, head ducked low. "Please, call me Hojo."

I gave a lop-sided smile. This guy... He was literally the definition of adorable, named McYummy with his picture on the side. "Sure."

Inuyasha growled.

Well there the fuck we go again.

I grabbed the keys from my inside jacket pocket and tossed them his way. "Do you want to wait in car? I'll be right there. I'm fine, really."

Okay, so I completely understood that this adorable ball of cuteness was making him uneasy. If that was his gut feeling, I wasn't going to just toss it to the back burner and forget it. So far though, Hojo had done nothing to make me feel anything other than happiness, and frankly, Inuyasha had no valid reason for disliking the guy. I would stay on my guard. I would take Inuyasha's words into account.

But if this guy gave me a potential two-day happiness spree? Well, I wasn't going to fight that.

Inuyasha caught the keys and left so quickly that I could almost feel the blast of frigid air sent my way. For the life of me, I wouldn't understand him.

"Sorry about that," I muttered, still staring at the slammed door my half-demon just exited out of. "What were you saying?"

"I was just wondering if you wanted...dinner sometime? I mean, you'd probably want some sort of reprieve from this case... It's pretty difficult with the brutality of it all." Hojo tilted his head, eyes hopeful and awwwwwwwww he was so CUTE!

Maybe I'm overreacting but I had never been..._asked out_ before so nicely. He wanted to take me to _dinner_? I took myself out to dinner. Always. I took Inuyasha out to dinner. Always.

So _YES_ is the answer.

Wait. I can't look desperate, can I? Hmm. How shall I handle this? How? HOW? I don't deal with real human contact, what the hell do I know about this shit? Ugh. Maybe this was a bad idea.

...But he's...all smiles...and rainbows...

"I think I can definitely fit some time in for dinner," I managed, trying not to look _too _happy. "Any day in mind?"

"Tomorrow evening? At seven? I mean, only if you're available and not working too hard." Hojo shrugged and smiled. "Your job here is obviously far more important to this town."

"No," I replied. "I'm sure it'll be no problem."

And so I HAVE A DATE! Like, an actual teenage DATE! Wow...

I don't know how to describe it actually. I mean, I used to do this all the time before _D-Day_ arrived but that seemed like a lifetime ago.

A DATE!

WOO!

So we exchanged numbers and I more or less skipped back to the car. No, it was not dignifying in gravel and high heels but damn, it felt good.

Even Inuyasha's pissy glare didn't stop my happiness. I could still hear the low rumbling in his chest, and instead of getting angry at him and telling him to grow up, I blasted the radio. Since I literally knew every song known to man, it wasn't a surprise that I knew the lyrics.

"Baby it's all or nothing now! I don't want to run and I can't walk out! You're breaking my heart if you leave me now! Don't want to wait forever..." Yes. I knew Cher. Who the hell doesn't?

The death glare sent my way by Inuyasha was pretty much leaving massive holes in my head, but I honestly didn't give a shit.

"Who do you think you're fooling? Who do you think you're fooling? Baby it's all or nothing now. Baby it's all or nothing now!"

Epic. I know.

* * *

Inuyasha still refused to talk to me the next morning, even when I enticed him with a chocolate bar I got from the vending machine at the motel. It's not like I felt _guilty_ or anything. I mean, just because I was going on a date with a guy that Inuyasha totally despised (for no reason, might I add), doesn't mean I should feel guilty about it.

I shouldn't feel guilty.

_Goddammit_, he was actually taking away my happiness.

Fuck.

Fuck my life.

I growled as I slammed the car into park and stormed off towards the address the sheriff gave me. We were both headed to see the bodies of Botan and Momiji, so I was yet again overdressed in the disgusting Nevada heat. My feet were starting to kill from overbalancing in the fucking gravel. As much as I prided myself in being a pro with heels, gravel and dirt that just loved to give freely away _sucked_ to walk in. I fell almost thirteen times.

Inuyasha laughed and sometimes, he pushed me just to watch me stumble.

"Fucking stop!" I hissed, flailing my arms to catch my balance while trying to hit him in the process. "Why is it that when I offer you a chocolate bar, you still gave me a death glare? Yet, when I'm practically dying while walking, you think it's the funniest thing in the world?"

"Because giving me a chocolate bar isn't making you suffer any. Walking on a dirt road? Well, that's funny because you're suffering." Inuyasha smirked at me, flashing white teeth and flicking my arm.

"I will strangle you," I threatened, glaring at him.

His smirk only grew. "Love to have you try wench."

"You would, dog boy." I grinned wickedly in return, suggesting something that was sure to shut him up for good.

Entering the build, we were directed to reception where a young woman led us to the office of a man called "Doc". She didn't give him any formal name, and told us that he preferred the name Doc over every other title. I shrugged, since it didn't make any difference to me. So we walked down the white, well-lit hall before opening a door and going into another white, well-lit hall. There was a room to the left, and Inuyasha's clawed fingers touched my back, making me jump.

"What's up?" I whispered, taking in his face. He looked like he was trying to calm down with his half-lidded eyes and tight lips.

Inuyasha grimaced. "The smell... It's pretty intense for me."

"It's usually pretty regulated and cleaned, so hopefully it won't get any worse," I murmured, continuing on and trying to shake off the feeling of his claws on my back. They gave me a feeling worse than the shivers, and I didn't know what to make of that.

"You must be the good agents Sheriff Yanaka told me about," a deep voice boomed and both Inuyasha and I turned around to see a short and balding man. "Agents Katsuki and Nobutoshi, I presume?"

"And you must be Doc," Inuyasha replied, giving a small smirk.

"That I am," Doc said, pushing his glasses up his nose with his finger. "Am I that."

I nodded. This was definitely not my first wacked out coroner meeting. Many people could call me a brat for being so "stereotypical". Well. Fuck you is what I have to say because those stereotypes? I'll let you in on a secret.

They. Are. True.

"Let's go see Momiji and Botan, shall we?" Doc murmured, gesturing with his hand in an "after you" sort of way.

We ended up leading the way to the metal tables that lined the room. Several bodies were covered with blankets, and some were not. I could pick out the two women we were searching for easily because Inuyasha was zeroing in on them like a bee to honey.

"What is it?" I asked in a low voice, trying to get a read on his emotions.

"Smell," he answered tightly.

"Dead people smell or _other_?"

"Other."

That was all I needed to know.

"Probably the strangest deaths I've ever looked into," Doc said sadly, shaking his head. He stood by Momiji, lowering the blanket to waist. Her skin was a sickening colour, and I had to tell myself to be calm and professional. Seeing a dead body never really got easier. "As you can see, the upper body is unscathed. There are no lacerations anywhere on the body, however, her skin shows bruising to her wrists and palms."

"Defensive," I stated, looking at her chest. "So she was definitely attacked. What about this heart business?"

Doc shook his head. "Hell if I knew. Seriously, I've been in this job over thirty years. Never once have I seen anything like this. When she was brought to me, there were no lacerations, as I mentioned. There was bruising but nothing more. Due to the strange circumstance of her death, I cut her open to study her heart. Since there was no visible trauma, I figured C.O.D. was internal. You can imagine my surprise when she didn't have a heart. Nearly took out my flask of whiskey right then and there."

"And you were positive she wasn't cut beforehand?" Inuyasha asked, obviously ignoring the last statement and studying the body as well. I could tell by the slight flare of his nostrils that he was smelling around, and as much as that freaked me out, I tried not to think about it too much.

Doc nodded, sighing and heaving his shoulders. "Positive."

"What about Botan Nishimura?" I asked, turning around to look at the dead, pale body of the young girl. "Same thing?"

"Literally," Doc replied, turning as well. "Defensive wounds on the wrists and palms. Not a single laceration on her until I opened her. No heart."

"What about the surrounding area?" Inuyasha asked, eyeing the coroner with his golden eyes. "Can you tell if it was removed clean, like it would be if done surgically or what?"

Doc frowned for a moment. "No and I found this very strange. Take for example the pulmonary vein. At first glance, it looked almost ripped from the body." His hands made a grasping motion, and his face was turning red from the excitement in his voice. "Immediately I knew this wasn't done surgically. Even if, it's nearly impossible for a scar like that caused of surgery to disappear completely. However..." He pointed to the vein in question, gesturing with his head to both of us. "See the tears? By examining the vein at a closer distance, I was about to distinguish some very interesting marks."

"Like?" I prompted, watching him waddle quickly around the room to a folder on a side desk. He pulled out several scanned photos, all of magnified images of the surrounding flesh. He held them out to both Inuyasha and I. We studied them, but it didn't take long for me to figure out how this mystery was interesting to him. "Teeth marks."

"How can that even be determined?" Inuyasha asked, giving me a steady look. I could tell that he believed me, but he wanted to figure out what Doc made of it.

"It's not like any of these veins are massive enough for it to be one-hundred percent determined. Thus, it is only my personal conclusion that they were bitten. If the veins were truly torn off of the heart, I'd say it wouldn't look so clean. The edges would be far more jagged but this... This is almost an in between. My report concludes tearing because there is no possible way that a heart could be..._bitten_ out without any lacerations to the body."

I nodded. "Any epithelial tissue found under the nails? If they both fought back–"

"Nothing," Doc answered, shaking his head. "I sent as much as I could to forensics but if I have anything to say for it... Zip."

"Thanks Doc," Inuyasha said, handing back the picture. "Let us know if you find anything else?"

"Oh yes," he responded, suddenly narrowing his eyes. "You, sir, have the strangest coloured eyes. Contacts or something?"

Inuyasha smirked. "It gets ladies' attention."

How _so_ unprofessional. I really have to talk to him about this. Maybe put on a couple television shows like Numb3rs, or Bones or anything else that includes FBI. Movies or something!

We left the building, waving goodbye to Doc who followed us to the door and made it to the car without a word. Once inside with the Corvette purring, I turned to Inuyasha. "Okay spill. You said something about the way they smell."

Inuyasha unbuttoned the top half of his shirt and loosened the tie. I tried to focus on his face and not, well, his chest. Or something else. Uh... "Yeah. While we were outside, all I could smell was rotting corpse. I guess it's not the same for humans, because you didn't cringe any but _I _could smell it. I could smell, once we stepped in the room, another really strange scent which threw me off."

I nodded encouragingly. "Okay, and that is...?"

"Fuck if I know."

Lovely. Just lovely.

"But it was strange?"

Inuyasha raised a brow. "No, it wasn't strange. I just told you about this weird smell that I have no idea about because it was _normal_."

"I should put a muzzle on you," I snapped, shaking my head and slamming my foot done. "And we were being so friendly for once too."

"Friendly? I'm never _not_ friendly. You're just the idiot that decides we're fighting," Inuyasha shot, rolling his eyes and looking towards the window.

"Really? So yesterday after we went to the Nishimura's house, you weren't being unfriendly?" I asked, glaring at him. "I'm sorry but I was almost an ice cube because of the fucking cold shoulder you were giving me."

"Stop exaggerating wench."

"Stop being a bitch, dog boy."

"Mature."

"Right back at you."

Inuyasha growled and I focused on road ahead of me, trying to push the thought of creaming the right side of my car into a tree or something. Even if Inuyasha happened to die miraculously, my car wouldn't be doing so well and I sure as hell couldn't risk that.

We were headed back to the Reno police department to pick up the autopsy reports and get our "room". As much as I dreaded this whole business, especially with the nagging issue of _real_ FBI agents coming, I knew I couldn't leave. Whatever demon that is doing this is powerful, and I have to stop it.

To be expected, Inuyasha didn't talk to me for the rest of the drive, which really wasn't a problem.

What was a problem was the fact that suddenly, five cop cars were headed our way, sirens blasting.

"Oh fuck me," I hissed under my breath, gripping the steering wheel tight and looking for an exit. The land was flat, and I could probably lose them–

"Not if you were the last person on earth."

Well fuck you Mr. Cocky.

Thanks for the luck.

* * *

**Another chappie. I will update soon. I will update soon. I will update soon.**

**I hope.**

**Problems? Errors? Feedback? I'd love to hear it, thanks!**


	11. Badbye

**Author's Note:** Remember that "INUYASHA" is a break for his POV.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Eleven: Badbye**

* * *

"_Oh, oh and she's buying a stairway to Heaven. There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure 'cause you know sometimes words have two meanings. In a tree by a brook, there's a songbird who sings: sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven."_

_-Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin_

* * *

I ignored the comment, watching in horror as two cars stopped dead in front of us. What do I do? Slam on the breaks or drive right through? Shit shit shit. My foot was edging on the accelerator, undetermined as to what it wanted to do.

"Wench, stop!" Inuyasha barked, and I slammed on the brakes, trusting him for a reason only God knows why.

I looked at him. "What?" I tried to take in deep breaths, but I knew this shit was going to blow up in our faces sooner or later and I had just been hoping it was _later_ when a) we solved this damn thing and b) I had my date dammit.

He nodded his head at the sheriff, who was already out of his car and running towards us. The expression on his face was nothing like I expected, and a knowing look from Inuyasha made my heart slow down. This wasn't about us. They hadn't figured the scam out yet.

Thank _god_.

"Special Agent Katsuki," Sheriff Yanaka said; his voice was laced with the mixture of fear and desperation. "There's been another. We just got the call a couple minutes ago."

"We'll follow you," I answered with a nod, trying not to show just how remarkably relieved I was that he wasn't here for another reason.

Sheriff Yanaka got back into his cruiser and he sped off, my Corvette not too far behind. "How did you know?" I whispered, stealing glances at my half-demon companion.

"I could hear him inside the cruiser," Inuyasha answered, leaning back in the seat. "He was screaming at his officer. It's not that hard."

I frowned, following the speeding cars easily. "How far away can you hear?"

"Depends. Right now, I can only hear buzzes outside since the wind is carrying literally everything away. When we were stopped though, and his door was open, I could hear him pretty clearly."

"So far away," I sighed. "You still haven't told me what Sango and Miroku said when we were at their place."

Inuyasha frowned. "They said something?"

I sighed again and ran my hand through my black hair. I really needed to get it cut. "That's what I thought." We turned down several streets, and I struggled to remember my way around. If we needed to make a break for it, I was going to definitely need prepping time. Wadsworth didn't seem to follow any smooth order when it came to streets, and it was hard to determine where the hell you were when all you saw when you looked out the window was _sand_. "Another attack," I started, wanting to talk about something instead of listening to the uncomfortable silence in the car. "Any idea yet on what's doing this?"

Inuyasha tapped his hand on the dashboard. "There're a lot of demons that focus on the heart. It's like the very being of the person. Some demons live off the organ."

"Any of those a potential target?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "They only work through possession and I would've smelled the sulphur on the bodies."

"But there _was_ a smell," I reminded him. "That still doesn't bring anything to mind?"

"Not a fucking clue," Inuyasha replied. "Smell is usually attributed to the demon or the human vessel, not the victim."

"Okay," I said, trying to process the information. It was nothing I didn't already know. "What did it smell _like_? Compare it to other human smells. Can you think of anything?"

Inuyasha scrunched his nose, and I watched in amazement as he seemed to recall whatever scent came from the body. "Like here," he murmured after a bit. "Sand, dirt... Only stale. Really stale."

Great. Just peachy. The smell off of our victims is stale sand and dirt. Can sand and dirt even be _stale_? "Awesome, I think." This may have just complicated things, not made it better. "So what smells like stale sand and dirt?"

Inuyasha looked at me. "You really think I know?"

"You can smell things as well as a dog, apparently!"

Inuyasha shrugged. "A bit better actually."

Way to prove my point. I don't even know why I try.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled; his voice edging panic.

I looked out my windshield and realized with slight horror that I hadn't been paying attention. The cruiser in front of me was stopped completely and I slammed on my brakes, jerking the car to the side and shifting gears. I landed just on the curb, the right side of the car lifted up and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

"Nice wench."

"Bite me," I shot back, even though I didn't sound in any way angry. It technically was my fault. I put the car in reverse until I was back on the steady ground, cutting off the engine and jumping out. Cops surrounded the body, putting up road blockers and setting up tape. We quickly made our way to where Sheriff Yanaka was standing, face grim and mouth tight.

"Who is it?" I asked, looking down at the body of a young woman with long straight black hair. She was lying in a ditch, just off the side of a driveway. I turned around to take in the scenery, to try and figure out where we were in Wadsworth. Nothing but endless sand could be seen but as I turned to a small house a few feet away, I saw a woman sobbing and a man hugging her. "Who are they?"

"They found the body, right here. They just got back from a weeklong trip," the sheriff responded. "They're good people."

"Who's the girl?" Inuyasha repeated, leaning down and subtly smelling the body. He looked at me, and I could tell that the same smell we were talking about earlier was on her as well. Another victim of the demon.

Fuck, we needed to catch this bastard.

"Tsubaki. Her name is Tsubaki Mizuna. She's a student at the University of Nevada, a city over," Sheriff Yanaka finally said, sighing.

"Then what is she doing here?" I asked, bending down to Inuyasha's level and studying the body. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was sleeping. Peeling my eyes away from her pale and almost perfect face, I looked down to her hands.

"Her father and I are good friends," the sheriff replied. "He..._god_, he doesn't ever stop talking about how proud of her he is. After everything that poor girl went through her freshman year..."

"Same defensive wounds, I'd say this is for sure our demon," I whispered to Inuyasha, careful to make it low enough so only he would hear. Clearing my throat and looking at Sheriff Yanaka, I frowned. "What happened to her freshman year?"

"Tsubaki," the sheriff started, taking a deep breath and sighing. "Well, she partied too hard. One night she was out drinking and one of the guys there was blasted out of his mind. She was raped."

I looked at Inuyasha, wondering if this could potentially mean anything for our case. His expression and eyes gave nothing away, not even a hint of acknowledgement, so I let the information drop. "Does she come back here then? It's mid-October. Shouldn't she be in school?"

The sheriff nodded. "I assume she came back."

"Well," I said, standing up. "We'll know for sure when the coroner arrives. It's Saturday so if the ETD is within twenty-four hours–"

"Then we have a local doing this," Sheriff Yanaka muttered. "Fucking perfect."

"Inu– Hiten?" Sheriff Yanaka was right beside us, and I made my way apart from him, waiting until he was gone before turning back to Inuyasha. Inching closer, I noticed how intently his eyes were focused on the pale body. He seemed to be lost in thought, maybe carefully thinking what demon could be responsible. "Inuyasha?"

The half-demon jerked and flashed golden eyes at me. "What do you want wench?"

I rolled my eyes at the nickname, but at this point I assumed it to be a term of endearment – or something like that. "I'm going to make a quick call okay? I think the coroner's coming so listen up and see if anything stands out for you."

For a moment, Inuyasha's eyes darkened and I could see the frown etch its way into his chiselled features. "You're calling Hobo, aren't you?"

"Hojo," I said automatically, expecting this. "Yes, I'm calling him. I was supposed to meet him for dinner and obviously I can't now. This is going to take awhile. They're going to process the scene and we'll need to observe what they find. Forensics tend to not think what's truly relevant _is_ relevant – demon speaking, anyways. Then we have to talk to the Mizuna family, find out how she was doing and if she was acting strangely. Then–"

"Yeah, wench, I think I got it," Inuyasha snapped, turning away from me instantly and standing up. "I'm going to take a quick look around, see if I can smell anything out of the ordinary. When the coroner comes to inspect I'll be here."

I took a step closer, frowning because it was beyond me why he was so pissy when it came to Hojo. He had been like this from the start. His upfront comment about not liking the guy was understandable, but there was nothing that connected him to these murders or anything else that was evil. There was no reason for him to act this way.

The sudden flip of my stomach made me halt, and I wondered why it bothered _me_ so much that he was even acting this way. Rationally, it had to be because we were just starting to get along again...kind of. That had to be the reason why the daggers he was shooting through my face with his eyes were hurting.

"I can take care of myself," I whispered, knowing he'd hear before I turned on my heel and stalked away to somewhere more private. Not that anywhere near here was actually private because all there was to hide behind was sand, dirt and more sand.

Not much choice.

I pressed the call button on my phone when I scrolled to his number in my cell. Two rings later, and I heard the extremely cute voice of McYummy.

Fucking demon ruining my only chance at a normal date.

"Hey Hojo? It's K– Suijin – yeah, can I get a rain check for tomorrow?"

* * *

The Mizuna family tore my heart open and when it was finally time to walk out, I had to take a couple shaky breaths to calm myself. I had seen many families torn up and broken down because of what happened to their family or friend. But this... This was a whole new level of pain.

Tsubaki had younger siblings and when they heard...

"You okay?"

The warm hand on my back made me take in another deep breath, relaxing into the touch. Inuyasha still hadn't been the nicest towards me since my phone call to Hojo, but the moment we stepped foot into the Mizuna's home, he understood that this was hard.

I had a family. I knew the pain.

I knew how my mom used to stand at the window and just _look_. How my little brother, Souta, would walk to school, eyeing the brushes to see if I would just pop out and yell "surprise!" It never happened.

It's why I left.

"Yeah," I said after a long delay, processing my thoughts and pushing them as far back on the back burner as I possibly could. This wasn't the time to start the self-pity movement. "I'm fine."

His hand fell from my back and I missed the warmth, wanting to feel comforted again. "I think I have an idea," he murmured, turning around to face me. "We need your laptop though, and internet."

I nodded and unlocked the car, getting in with a small wave to the sheriff and starting the engine. Talking to Sheriff Yanaka hadn't been fun. The coroner determined she had been dead less than a day and the Mizuna family had sworn she was out with friends. She was supposed to stay with them overnight. The friends said they never saw her. Her cellphone was off, so they figured something important had come up.

"I don't like it," the sheriff said after the news. "The media is going to be all over this soon. That's the third victim."

"And now we've got a serial killer," I had agreed.

The thing was demons were always serial killers. They never just killed once for the fun of it and decided that it wasn't worth their time. Demons killed because it was their _nature_ to destroy life and make suffering. In all honesty, this probably wasn't the demon's first three victims. There were probably hundreds of people who died at the hands of this monster.

"So what are you thinking?" I asked Inuyasha when we were driving off, going back to the conversation at hand.

Inuyasha wrinkled his nose and shrugged. "It's just a hunch but I feel like thisdemon is following a pattern. He's not killing these women for no reason. They were picked."

I raised a brow, having no particular feelings towards his idea. "Where did you even _think_ of that? What makes you think that they were picked?"

Again, Inuyasha shrugged. His amber eyes looked at me carefully and I felt that odd clench in my stomach that happened every time he did something strange. Like alarm bells in my head, only they were telling me how gorgeous he was rather than dangerous. "I just think that everything happens for a reason. Demons don't always pick random victims. There's usually a pattern, even if a pattern is not having a pattern."

Great. "Alright. I'll go with it, but it's late. We should get dinner and spend the rest of the night researching whatever your gut is telling you."

Inuyasha nodded and smirked. "Can we go to another diner? Maybe you can bitch at another poor waitress."

I scowled. "If you want a hooker, you can find some money of your own and pay for it yourself."

"But she was offering for free," Inuyasha replied, blinking innocently at me with big golden eyes.

I looked at him for a moment, feeling that pull again towards such uneasy trust that I forced myself to look back at the road and the darkening landscape that settled as the sun fell.

Something told me that when this was all over, we'd have more problems than we started out with.

* * *

"I think I've got it."

Rushing out of the bathroom with mascara in my hand, I fanned myself to stop the tears from flowing. Clearly it had been awhile since I applied any makeup heavier than bronzer and eyeliner. Fucking brush. I'm probably blind now.

Do you think Hojo will mind if my right eye is swollen shut?

Wait, he's a _doctor_... Mm. Yum.

Mc_Yummy_.

"What do you got?" I asked, praying that the twenty minutes of solid painstakingly horrific labour of applying makeup didn't go to waste.

Inuyasha stared at me in utter horror, frowning. "What the _fuck_ are you doing wench?"

"Performing what most would call self-inflicted torture," I muttered. "Just, please, tell me."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me and ran his clawed hands through his black-dyed hair. "Well it took for-fucking-ever. I've been searching this shit out since we got back last night, but I think I found a pattern."

I raced over to his bed, sitting down on the side and looking at the laptop. I tried not to cry when I saw the million-plus-one pop ups and the multiple "WARNING!" signs all over the screen. "Have you ever worked a computer before?"

Inuyasha shook his head. "Never. The screen blacked out several times but poking it enough eventually brought it back."

Ah. Solid.

"So this pattern."

Inuyasha clawed at the touchpad for a long while until the box scrolled down and I tried not to smack his hand away. He was damaging the only solid piece of technology I owned. "Look here," he said, tapping the screen and making me cringe. I couldn't watch this torture on my poor old laptop. "This is a news article from...two-thousand and seven. It says here that Momiji Kikuchi, our first victim, got in a car accident with a drunk driver. She managed to make it out okay, but the drunk died on impact. And here –right here, look. Botan Nishimura was involved in a bar fight last year. She wasn't the cause or the problem but she tried to stop it. She struck out at a man in self-defence, wounding him and putting him in the hospital. He was fine but needed stitches."

I nodded. "Good work. You only managed to blow up my computer to find it."

"It's still in one piece," Inuyasha mumbled. "There's a pattern here though."

"And what's the pattern?" I asked, feeling my eye start to twitch as the makeup started to stick. Was this stuff like expired or something? Was it going to go into my bloodstream and _kill me_?

"The hell if I know," Inuyasha replied, smirking at me. "So what the hell are you doing to your face? Are you trying to do that weird revitalizing crap women do? Make yourself look ugly in black shit and then wake up the next morning pretty?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You should just stop talking," I said snidely. I was trying to make myself look pretty alright, but the makeup was supposed to be _helping_ not making it _worse_. For his sake, he'd better be lying.

"Why? What the hell are you getting all done up for anyways? Are you going to another diner? There could be a male hooker for you, you never know."

I sighed. This was not going to be good – again. I could already feel the stare burying me twenty-five and a half feet under, and god the _growling_ he was going to do. Looking at the cheap motel clock, I figured I could leave early if Inuyasha was too much of a pain in the ass. "I'm going out for dinner, remember? That's why I ordered you food...gave you money..."

"With Hobo, isn't it?"

"Hojo." I had corrected him more than once and I had a sneaking suspicion he was saying it wrong on purpose. Why he would do something so immature was beyond me. "And yes, we're going to dinner. Remember? I cancelled last night and got a rain check for tonight."

And there it was again. The daggers. The wishing I was dead. The _growling_.

"Oh come on," I said, throwing my hands in the air and glaring right back. "I can take care of myself Inuyasha. I'm not sure that you're aware but I've lived this life perfectly fine before you arrived. Just because you're here, doesn't mean I'm going to change doing what I want. I'm still a demon slayer, and while I can't purify you with my powers or salt, I can do many other torturous things."

"Ooh, I'm shaking."

"Bite me."

"Wench, you're pushing it. Stop talking to me like I'm a dog."

"But you are."

"I'm a dog _demon_. Totally different."

"Woof woof."

Inuyasha growled and his amber eyes pierced through my own. Pushing off of the bed he stormed towards me, crowding into my space and making me take a step back. This close, I could see his eyes in little golden flecks.

Then again, I could also see the rimmed red. The terrifying colour seemed to bleed into him and I felt the drop in my stomach, the feeling that something wasn't _right_. With him. With this entire situation.

"Back off," I warned, feeling threatened. I never felt threatened and this new feeling of worry seemed to bleed into me like the red in his eyes. "Back the _fuck_ off Inuyasha."

Inuyasha growled and took a step back, still too close. "I don't trust the bastard."

"There's no evidence he's even involved," I hissed, trying to calm down and take a deep breath and get whatever the hell I was feeling out of my system. "You find evidence, I'll do what I have to do but _you_ have no right to come into my _face_ and into my _life_ demanding shit from me when I'm doing you a favour."

"Me a favour?" Inuyasha barked a laugh at me, finally turning around and slamming the laptop shut. "Whatever wench. If that's how you want to think of it, go right ahead."

I could feel the words hang in the air and I knew that this was about whatever Sango and Miroku had said earlier. I still didn't know what it meant, but I had a pretty damn good idea what it was. Regardless, he had nothing on me and powers or not, I could still blast his shit to pieces in seconds.

Yet, my stomach was flipping over and over and my heart was beating fast. Was I actually scared? Disappointed? Upset?

I stormed into the bathroom and finished my makeup, so pissed off now that it was fuelling me to move faster, get changed quicker. I had two options of attire and while previously I wanted to wear casual jeans and a low cut blouse, I decided my little black dress was needed. Fuck it, fuck him and _whatever_. I'm going to _enjoy_ myself tonight, live some actual normalcy that I deserve. I haven't had a date in years. Eighty year-old women date more than me, and I'm twenty-one.

Slipping into my little black dress, I smiled in the mirror, messed up my hair, put on my high heels and walked out of the bathroom with so much pride, rainbows were probably shooting out my ass. I didn't look at the half-demon growling at me on the bed while I picked up my wallet. I didn't even say anything until the last second when I was half-way out the door and feeling so overly smug and prissy that I called over my shoulder a "don't wait up, goodbye".

Although, when you think about it, it was more of a _bad_bye than a good one.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha couldn't believe his fucking eyes.

The _bitch_ had walked out of the bathroom wearing something that would've made the diner hooker jealous. She didn't even have the decency to _look _at him. Was she really that arrogant? Inuyasha did his research before getting into this shithole of a mess. He talked to other demon slayers (before killing them) and learned that Kagome Higurashi was sweet, too good for the life she got and above all, she trusted way too easily.

Point proven when it literally took moments for her to agree to work with him.

Point further proven when Miroku and Sango chalked it up to her desperate need to have company and a little bit of socialization.

Flipping open the laptop and waiting for everything to reboot, he rolled his eyes at how she thought he was a total failure at the computer and managed to wade through files and bookmarks, finding the information pages she had tagged online to sort through potential demons. Even though she wasn't going to solve this thing, Inuyasha sure as hell was. He needed to get this ball rolling in order to get his way. Heaven needed to show its fucking ass dammit.

And yet, this fucking Hobo. He was ruining everything, drawing her away and taking her mind off this case. Yeah, she cared alright, but she was more focused on being human than being a demon slayer, and that's not what he needed. Inuyasha needed kickass Kagome the demon slayer in order to get his plan into action, to obtain– Well, it didn't matter now. Hobo was a fucking dick, and while Inuyasha felt a burn he would refuse to call jealously, there was something not right with the entire situation.

Hours went by, and when Inuyasha finally thought he was going to explode one of the bookmarks caught his eye. Elegant script covered the page, ancient designs painted and bordering the website. The demon was familiar to him, but he hadn't thought of it for a reason. Scrolling down the page, Inuyasha read the list provided, feeling the pieces click into place.

There was a reason he didn't think this demon was the demon responsible.

Inuyasha growled, feeling his chest tighten and the familiar scent he knew all too well haunt him. The reason he was so uptight. The reason this Hobo guy grated his nerves – more so than just adding a detour to his master plan. Kagome was in danger.

"Jesus fucking Christ."

He was going to Hell anyways, might as well make it classy.


	12. MMMMonster

**Author's Note: **This chapter and the idea leading up to it inspired by the song Monster, by Lady Gaga. I don't know why her stories give me little plot bunnies.

**Dedication: **To my lovely Kinky-Hoe. I just realized that you're 6 hours ahead of me. Hmm. Should've noticed that sooner huh? And this is late anyways, so obviously it mattered not.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twelve: M-M-M-Monster**

* * *

"_I wanna just dance but he took me home instead. Uh oh, there was a monster in my bed. We French kissed on a subway train. He tore my clothes right off. He ate my heart and then he ate my brain."_

_-Monster, Lady Gaga_

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha took this as a sign.

The more information he got, the more everything seemed to click.

A smirk crossed his face at lightning speed, and his amber eyes searched the room for his duffel bag. Quickly placing the laptop to the side, he rushed over to his bag and pulled out a small vile of clear liquid.

Maybe this was a good thing, the whole Kagome-being-distracted issue.

He could get what he wanted faster.

Shaking the vile with an evil grin, Inuyasha laughed. "Oh the fun I'm going to have."

And he was going to have fun.

All he needed to do was be the poor, understanding half-demon that Kagome wanted as a sidekick and everything would work out perfectly. They would see. Everyone would see.

Inuyasha was not a guy you wanted to fuck with.

Well, not metaphorically of course.

Literally was an entirely different story.

* * *

"Bill please," Hojo said, throwing a shy smile my way before turning his attention back to the massive cake between us. He scooped up a large portion of the Billy Miner Pie and held it out, looking at me pointedly.

"I have a spoon," I told him, smiling all the same and leaning forward to taste the mocha and chocolate on my tongue. I had never tried Billy Miner Pie before but dear lord, it was _amazing_.

Hojo shrugged, pulling the utensil back and scooping up some for himself. "It's the principle of thing."

"Is it?" I asked, grinning. "This was really good. I haven't gone out in a long time." And it was the truth. I hadn't been treated to like this since...ever.

"I absolutely don't believe you." Hojo gave a lop-sided smile as he finished the last of the dessert. "You're beautiful. You must have a line up of men waiting to take you out."

I rolled my eyes. "Hardly. I'm not exactly the type of girl guys like to date."

"Smart? Gorgeous? Good with a gun?" Hojo laughed and watched as the server placed the bill in front of them, wishing them a good night.

"The gun scares them off, among other things," I muttered, thinking about the crapload of baggage I carried with me. Never stayed in one place too long. Slay demons for a living – a living that doesn't pay a penny. I _believe _in demons, which leads to all of the other baggage. Yeah, the men don't run as much as they disappear like a bullet through any escape route possible.

God, the moment I mention even the existence of demons, all hell breaks loose. Satanist! Satanist! Blah, blah, blah. Well no, I'm not a Satanist, thank you very much. Otherwise I wouldn't be slaying them.

They tend to _forget_ that part.

"Hey, did I lose you?"

I snapped my head up, spoon hanging out of my mouth as I realized I had been lost in thought. "Sorry," I said sheepishly, feeling heat crawl up my spine. "I do that sometimes. So are you from here?"

"Born and raised," he replied, shrugging. "I like it here anyways. Not many people like the stifling heat but I can't imagine anything colder than what we get here." He shivered as if ice suddenly appeared. "Like Canada? No way would I head up there."

I laughed. "I've been there a few times."

"Really?" Hojo asked, looking surprised. "Do you bring fifty jackets?"

I smiled slyly. "Fifty-one." Scooping another spoon of Billy Miner Pie, I shrugged. "It's not actually that cold; it just depends on when you go. The summer time can get really hot. Granted, it's not the Caribbean but they definitely don't live in igloos."

"No dog sleds?" Hojo teased, tapping the empty plate. He placed money inside the pocket with the bill and gestured towards the door.

We walked out of the restaurant with teasing chatter, talking about Canadians and making fun of the fact that they said _eh_ all the time. They didn't, and I knew that for a fact. However, I didn't want to ruin the good time we were having. We jumped into his car, already knowing the destination. Since I had been more than just a little upset with Inuyasha, I had left in my car. My car was currently sitting in his driveway, only because Hojo insisted he wanted to be a gentleman and drive me to the restaurant himself.

McYummy is also McGentleman. If he kept this up, I was going to have to start a McHojo store, selling clones and ultimately leaving the rest of the male human race to, well, their hands.

And the sole half-human half-demon I knew? Well he could be left to his evil goddamn hands to, the stupid overreacting bastard.

As if Hojo could read my thoughts, his smile fell. "So how long have you known your partner?"

"Honestly?" I asked, looking at Hojo's strong features and intense gaze. "Not that long. He was partnered with me to learn from the best."

"Modest, are we Suijin?"

I had to stop myself from correcting him, realizing sadly that he couldn't know my real name. "Well that's how he phrased it, not I. He's an...interesting character," I said with a grin, poking his arm. "He gets worried that something will happen to me."

Yeah, and overreacts times a _million_.

"I can understand that," Hojo replied, nodding. "He has the strangest colour eyes though. I couldn't help but notice."

"Uh, yeah," I responded, looking out the window. "You know contacts and such. The ladies love it."

Hojo gave a shy smile. "And you?"

"I work with him," I said, turning back to face him. "I know all of his dirty little secrets. Trust me when I say, it would _never_ happen." And that couldn't be closer to the truth. A demon slayer and a half-demon? _Yeah._ Like that was going to go anywhere good. Not only would all of the demons want me dead, but the demon slayers too.

"Good," Hojo replied, taking his eyes off the road to smile at me.

Oh yum. I think I just melted into a lovely puddle of goo. His smile was just _adorable_. And his eyes were twinkling like stars and he was probably one of the hottest things _ever_ and yummy yum yum yum.

A few minutes later and we were sliding into his driveway. His house was a small bungalow in the middle of a fairly busy street. Houses lined the street, lights illuminating the dark shadows attempting to hide behind the odd plant life and scattered litter.

We clambered out of the car and I turned to face him, walking backwards towards my car. "This was amazing," I said, feeling the smooth shield of my car press against my back. "I can easily say that this was one of the best nights I've ever had out."

Hojo came up to me, ducking his head down to look into my eyes. OH-EM-GEE, wasn't he cute?

...Did I just say oh-em-gee? Ugh. How sad have I become?

"One of the best?" he asked and I could feel his breath dance across my skin.

I could feel heat shoot through my body, the familiar feel of _wanting_ and being _wanted_. The warmth that was so foreign and yet not teased my mind and I had to look away from his dark eyes to actually remind myself to _breathe_.

And then I recalled that he asked me something. "Hmm?" I whispered, not even bothering to try and remember when he asked.

Hojo huffed out a laugh, stepping the little bit closer with his hands on either side of me. "I asked if it was only one of the best," he whispered.

Oh _god_. "Did I say that?" I asked, returning to meet his gaze. "Sorry, I meant the best."

Hojo laughed and dipped his head down, coming that much closer to me. I tried not to react like the teenage school girl that was literally squealing inside of me, keeping eye contact and leaning against the car.

Oh who the fuck was I kidding?

"Eek."

Shit.

Raising a brow, Hojo stopped. "Are you okay Suijin?"

I nodded, quite positive that if I opened my mouth again I would let out another very embarrassing sound.

"Don't worry, I'm a doctor," he breathed, and before I could make a smartass comment to that, his lips were pressed against mine and...

_Thirty-three seconds later._

I'm goo. I won't bother you with my rambling details.

_Seventy-four seconds later._

Okay, so I'm thanking that Hojo is a doctor because I'm quite positive I'm dead. Flatlined or _something_.

Now don't make fun of me. I don't exactly get to make out with a guy I happen to really like often. Actually, it very rarely happens. So maybe that's why my brain is not functioning.

At all.

Whatsoever.

And yeah, you can make fun of me for being so girly and ridiculous but _fuck you_. I'm enjoying this very much thank you.

Leaning away, Hojo teased my bottom lip before letting go. "You're beautiful," he breathed, kissing me again and literally turning my insides to goo. My hands crawled up his body, circling around his neck and pulling him impossibly closer. It felt unbelievable, like there was actually something there, something _worth_ staying for.

"Is that right?" I replied, tangling my hands up in his short hair.

Hojo hummed his agreement before taking a step back. "Come inside?"

I smiled, because in a decision between spending the night with a guy that made me feel happy and spending the night with a half-demon that made me feel angry was no competition. I let his hand find mine, and he pulled me gently, tugging me towards the front door. We stumbled there slowly, sharing kisses and touches across pavement and stone.

He cursed as his keys didn't cooperate with the lock, and when we were finally inside and laughing, I felt a shiver run down my body as he stepped closer, his hand locking the door behind him. His hands went from my neck, caressing down my arms until his hands held mine. "Stay?" he whispered into the darkness of the hall.

"I'm not going anywhere else," I replied, pulling him closer and crushing my lips onto his.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Instinct had me opening my eyes in seconds, but the warm heat of my body kept me rooted to the spot. I tore my lips off of him, stumbling backwards finally into a wall as I watched Hojo's body shake.

"Hojo?" I whispered, shocked and terrified.

No. No. This wasn't happening. This _couldn't_ be happening.

"Suijin–" he panted, but it was like he was fighting a war. The word was bitten and rough and it took me only seconds to realize what was happening, what had been happening all along.

"Hojo, stay with me," I yelled, wishing to step closer but knowing that if I did and if it didn't work, it would be suicide on my part.

A small sound escaped his lips and his whole body gave one single involuntary shudder, his eyes closing momentarily. I had seen this enough times in my life to know what was happening next and reflex had my hands on my belt.

"Fucker," I hissed, remembering that I removed my gun and left it in my car outside. Hojo was blocking the doorway and there was no way...

I turned and ran, stumbling in the blackness in the unfamiliar house that moments ago I was dying to stay in. Funny how I worded that. Room to room and I finally made it into the kitchen, opening cupboard doors and praying, wishing–

"Hello Kagome. I'm glad I finally get to meet you."

The voice, so eerily familiar and yet so terribly wrong, shook me. I whipped around, my eyes landing on what I was looking for. Working on autopilot I reached for it, feeling the cool glass in my hand before it was suddenly knocked out, salt flying across the room away from us.

Hojo and I – only Hojo wasn't really Hojo.

"Back the fuck off," I hissed, preparing myself for a fight. I knew this was demonic possession, but of a different form. Possession happens with big black clouds and screaming on the part of the human, while this was like... It was inside him, waiting.

"You're right in believing that," Hojo said calmly, taking a step forward and flashing me a grin that moments ago I would've melted to. Now, I was just terrified.

_Focus. Do the job. Do the job._

Hojo took another step towards me, eyes glinting red as a flash of light from a passing car illuminated his features. Another step closer. "Your heart is heavy Kagome. I've known it for a while."

My heart is heavy? While trying to rationalize what the demon meant, I looked for escape routes, seeing my only option to scramble over the countertop. My chances didn't look good and before I could even think of following through, Hojo's familiar smell washed over me, his body pinning me to the counter.

"Your heart has been weighed," the demon whispered, using Hojo's voice in a manner so cold my skin crawled. The alarms in my head were screaming bloody murder, the _beep beep_ of my internal radar a constant screech in my mind. "Your heart is heavy and now, I shall devour it."

Lovely. That's just fucking great. Instead of the devouring I had been wishing for in bed, I was now getting the devouring I never wanted – to be eaten. Apparently, my heart was the main course.

"Who are you?" I demanded, yelling out in aggravation when his hands held mine and stopped any movement. His head was hovering over my neck, his teeth grazing the skin. I bit back a cry, trying to think my way through this. I needed to escape, get out of his grip...

"_Inuyasha, what's wrong? Is there something wrong with Mc – uh – the doctor?"_

"_I don't like him."_

Shit.

I tried to kick my way free, inching my knee up to where was sensitive but instantly searing hot pain flashed through my neck. I felt his teeth dig into my skin, pushing for blood as he finally came up and licked his lips. "You look just as good as you taste," the demon purred in my ear, licking my jaw line and causing another shudder to pulse through my body.

This wasn't happening. This wasn't happening.

I kicked his leg as hard as I could, feeling a break in the hold but not moving even an inch to get free. A cry passed my lips and I struggled next with my wrists. I needed to break free. I had to stop this.

"Don't even thinking about it," Hojo murmured, kissing my lips with the taste of blood lingering. "Your heart is mine."

Red eyes locked onto my brown ones and for a moment, it was like time had frozen. Neither body was moving, no sound could be heard and despite my continual effort to break free and run, it was like I had given up. My wrists were held together with one of his hands, the other settling over my heart. His mouth opened and Hojo took a deep breath. It was like nothing I had ever felt before. Like every part of my body was shutting down one by one, breaking into tiny bits and crumbling to ash on the floor. My eyes never moving from his, I felt my very essence being sucked right out of me.

This was it. The very short life of Kagome Higurashi.

I would never find out what happened at the end of _Lost_. Is the island really just purgatory and they were all dead from the beginning? And what about Patrick Janeon _The Mentalist_? Does he finally defeat Red John? Does he get together with Lisbon? And what about the _WINCHESTERS_?

Odd how television started to flash before my eyes instead of my own life. Maybe that was because I was always much more fond of TV fiction than reality.

"Kagome!"

The shout was like a muffled buzzing in my ear. I had no energy left to try and figure it out. Was that Inuyasha? I saw flashes of black and amber and soon my body was tumbling to the ground, unable to move. It felt like everything in me was paralyzed, frozen on the spot. I could only watch the scene before me in horror, unable to scream or warn anybody.

Inuyasha and Hojo were there, fighting. Hojo's blood red eyes narrowed at the half-demon before he attacked, the two of them crashing into walls. Inuyasha managed to kick him onto the counter, sending him and many dishes crashing to the floor on the other side.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled again, coming up to me with worry heavily set in his amber eyes. "Fuck, I didn't expect you to win but _shit_."

Did that mean anything? My brain was getting really foggy and it was hard to pay attention to anything anymore. I think the house was getting darker because I couldn't see anything. I could only hear muffled voices shouting, furniture crashing... Maybe it was safer to just stay here, in the dark. It's not like anyone would help me anyways.

This was the end of Kagome Higurashi, as well all know it.

* * *

"Kagome, I will rip your throat out if you don't get up!"

Apparently not.

Now while most people would be greeted with tears of joy and words of love, clearly, this was not the case for me. All I got was an angry half-demon and a very painful groan from my body. "What?" I mumbled and _fuck_ did that hurt to speak. It felt like my throat was completely closed up and sand was forced down it.

Rough hands lightly tapped my cheek and I opened my eyes slowly to see amber. I blinked several times, opening my mouth to speak but feeling no words come out.

"Kagome? You okay?" Inuyasha asked and I felt his hands reach around my body to pick me up and sit me on the counter. The world started to spin and a strangled noise came out of my throat before I started falling backwards. Why was the world spinning so much?

Inuyasha's hands wrapped around my head quickly, and warmth surrounded me as my head rested on his chest. "Shit wench, you really screwed up this time."

I grumbled an attempted "bite me", but translation must've been lost past my lips. I closed my eyes and waited for the spinning to stop. It could've been minutes or hours, I didn't know, but slowly I pulled back and blinked at Inuyasha. "Hi," I murmured; my throat still hurt.

"Finally," Inuyasha replied, rolling his eyes. "Only you. I thought you were a better slayer than that."

"Screw off," I whispered, suddenly turning my head. "Where is he?"

Inuyasha snorted and I knew that this was going to come. There would be gloating and then probably a bit of anger before he finally returned to the _I told you so_ attitude. Jerk. "Your boyfriend is subdued."

I glared at him and pushed at his chest, trying to slide off the countertop and take a look around. "How did you get here? Why are you even here?" I asked. I was trying to find where Hojo was but Inuyasha had obviously dealt with him somewhere else.

Smirk quick to his face, his hand pressed against my back. "I'm smarter than I look." After an additional glare (courtesy of moi), the smirk wiped off his face and he sighed. "I was doing research and found out what we're dealing with. Once I figured it out, I assumed Hojo had to be the one possessed."

"What characteristics linked the two?" I asked, wondering if I was really that blind that I missed the signs.

Inuyasha shrugged. "There wasn't any, but I figured there had to be a rational reason as to why I didn't like him."

I rolled my eyes, taking an unsteady step forwards without leaning on the counter. "Where is he?"

"It, Kagome," Inuyasha told me, hand pressing against my back harder.

"_He_," I repeated, moving out of the kitchen with no destination other than to find Hojo in mind. "He's possessed. I can exorcise the demon and he'll be okay."

Pulling me back by the ruffles of my dress, Inuyasha dragged me against him, making me almost stumble. "Wench," he whispered quietly in my ear, making me flinch because the last person who did that tried to _suck out my soul_. "Hojo can't come back."

I turned to face him, trying to keep my expression as neutral as possible. "What do you mean?"

Amber eyes bore into mine with that unmistakeable intensity that had my blood pumping every time. Finally looking away and sighing, he mumbled something about figuring it out myself before leading the way through the dark house. Turning down a hallway and into a small, barely furnished room, I saw Hojo tied up to a chair in the centre of it. The floor had been carved out by what looked like a knife, intricate designs of the Key of Solomon littered the floor and bound the demon within Hojo to the spot. It was the first part of every exorcism, if possible.

This was why I hated it when demons possessed humans. Just because a human is being controlled by them doesn't mean their heart becomes full of the hatred and evil that I purify. I can't end the battle like I normally do with my holy powers. I need to do it the old fashioned way, which was never the preferable way.

"Look wench," Inuyasha muttered, pointing to the torn shirt Hojo was wearing. "Lift it up, you'll see."

"Salt doesn't do anything but the Key does?" I asked, not really caring for an answer as I stepped in and examined the damage done.

Inuyasha grunted from behind. "It makes me feel claustrophobic."

I would've had something to say to that if I hadn't pulled up Hojo's shirt at that moment, examining the designs on his body that probably would be scarred into my brain. "Binding spells," I whispered, tracing the mangled flesh with my finger tips. "The demon _bound_ himself to Hojo."

"It's worse than that," Inuyasha responded, stepping closer to the circle. "This isn't just any demon. This demon is almost a god, in a way. Its name is Ammit, the Eater of Hearts."

"Egyptian," I managed out, dropping the shirt and taking a step back. "When the Egyptians died their hearts were brought to Ma'at, a goddess of truth and justice. They were weighed on a scale opposing her feather, and if the heart was heavier than it, they were sentenced to eternal restlessness and the heart was devoured."

"Which is why all of the hearts were gone," Inuyasha continued. "The smell goes back to Duat, or the underworld. What caught my attention was what each of these women did. Momiji committed the negative act of having slain a man; Botan committed the negative act of acting in violence; and Tsubaki technically had slept with a man."

I took in the situation, listening to Inuyasha's explanation of the demon. "So how do we destroy what binds Ammit to Hojo?"

"You don't."

I turned to look at the half-demon, eyes wide as I had never considered the possibility. Demons were always killable – all creatures were. This made Ammit only killable by murdering the human in which it possessed. "No," I said firmly, shaking my head. "There is a way. We can pierce through the binds by burning the scars–"

"Ammit lived with gods," Inuyasha interrupted, shaking his head and stepping closer to me, arm outstretched. "I wouldn't be surprised if there are bindings _within_ him."

I almost choked. "His bones? No, that's not possible. I've done this forever, Inuyasha. I know what a demon can and can't do. Marking bones is not conceivable during possession."

"How many times am I going to have to repeat it?" Inuyasha asked, raising his voice. "Ammit worked and lived with _gods_. It wasn't considered one because the Egyptians feared of the power. You know what?" Shaking his head and stepping into the circle with a grimace, Inuyasha lifted his shirt and sliced through the binding symbols with his claws. Red liquid bubbled to the surface and crawled down his pale skin sickly slow, making every movement a torture.

I didn't even wait until Inuyasha was outside of the circle. "Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino. Qui fertis super caelum caeli ad Orientem. Ecce dabit voci Suae vocem virtutis, tribuite virtutem Deo. Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus omnis satanica–"

Hojo laughed. It was a shocking sound that instantly cut off what little voice I had left. I watched, stunned, as Hojo stirred and the demon possessing him flashed red eyes. "Kagome, you just won't believe it."

"Ergo draco maledicte et omnis legio diabolica adjuramus te–" But I could tell it was doing nothing. The exorcism I had finally memorized when I was nineteen did nothing to free Hojo from the demon possessing him. "Goddammit," I cursed, rubbing my hand over my face and trying to stop the well of tears that were threatening to spill. I would not cry dammit, I _did not_ cry.

"Hojo really did like you, you know," Ammit spat, curving lips into a wicked smile. "I didn't possess him the entire time and he was too weak to even notice my presence. When I killed those women, he blacked out. It worried him, sure, but you were just too good to pass up. Hojo pictured you two together for a long time, had things been different."

I whipped around, stepping into the circle and punching his jaw, trying not to think about how I has punching Hojo and not the demon. "Fuck you," I yelled, punching the other side of his face. "Stop talking right now."

"Or what? You can't kill me Kagome." Ammit laughed, head falling back into the chair. "It was so much fun to watch you two together from the back of his mind. Listening to his thoughts and reactions, how good he felt–"

Suddenly, Inuyasha startled me by pushing me aside roughly and wrapping his clawed hands around the demon's neck. "Shut the fuck up," he hissed. I watched in fascination and confusion as he brought out a small bottle of clear liquid, popping the top and jamming it down his throat.

The screaming was the worst. Hojo's voice sounded so pained and so hurt that I barely held back the sob trapped in the back of my throat. _Don't cry. Don't cry_. It was the mantra that was getting me through this. "You brought Holy Water?"

Inuyasha ignored me and spoke to Ammit instead. "Why is Heaven keeping Kagome?" he demanded, pulling back the liquid and snarling.

"Inuyasha! What the _hell_ do you think it knows?" I yelled, trying to push him off and away but not budging him. "It's not even the same fucking concept!"

"It knows," he answered. "Ammit is _not_ a god while it might be close. A demon is a demon, and demons know all about dirty little secrets."

Ammit gargled a response that neither of us could comprehend and soon Inuyasha was spattering the Holy Water all over Hojo's body, hissing sounds rising from the burning of skin. "I don't know," the demon spat, red eyes glaring.

"That's bullshit," Inuyasha snapped, pouring more of it on. "Wench, go to the front door. There's more Holy Water there that I jacked from your car."

Ammit growled. "I don't know!"

More pain, more screams and I left, grabbing the Holy Water like he wanted because I wasn't sure if I could see Hojo in that kind of pain. I knew this wasn't actually Hojo and that the Holy Water wasn't hurting _him_ directly. Still, the expressions were the same and it was impossible to comprehend what something so evil must feel from something so pure.

"Fucking princess!" Ammit yelled, writhing within the rope that bound Hojo's body. "There's a plan, alright? There's a plan!"

"What plan?" Inuyasha yelled. "What do they want with her?"

"The fuck if I know. You know just as well as I do that demons don't get the direct line to news," Ammit said, eyes piercing mine the moment I walked into the room. I almost dropped the Holy Water, but I was over to Inuyasha so fast that the punch I threw at Hojo I couldn't remember planning.

Ammit laughed despite the blood seeping out of every possible place. "Heaven has a plan and Hell doesn't like it. The fucking princess determines it all." Sneering, the demon spat out blood and grinned with red-stained teeth. "But you would know all about that, wouldn't you Inuyasha?"

"I don't know what the fuck you're talking about," Inuyasha responded, pouring more Holy Water down Hojo's throat before tossing the empty bottle and punching his face over and over until the blood was flowing like a river and Hojo's face fell lax against his chest.

I stared at Inuyasha with grim horror. "What did Ammit mean that you would know all about it?" I asked steadily, trying not to feel like everything was crashing down on me too fast, too hard. "Is this about your secret little mission?"

"There is no mission," Inuyasha replied, golden eyes fixed on me as he tossed his black hair behind his shoulder. "The demon was trying to do this, you know that right? Ammit was trying to separate us the entire time. Influencing Hojo's emotions for you, making us fight–"

"Just shut up," I snapped, waving my hand at him. I looked at Hojo's relaxed face. "I can't do it."

Inuyasha didn't like it. "Kill me? You just fucking met the bastard a couple days ago!"

The glare I shot Inuyasha was probably the dirtiest I had ever sent. I was so angry, feeling the heat boil over in my veins and before I could stop and think about what I was doing, Inuyasha was backed into the wall with my hand over his heart. There were no metaphorically strings to be pulled since his heart was half-human, but there was something there – something evil that I could latch onto. I clenched my fist so hard that my nails bit into my skin and caused blood to surface.

Inuyasha's golden eyes widened in disbelief, gasping for a moment before taking his hands and pushing me off of him. He stared at me for a long moment, eyes weighing heavily down on me. I was panting, feeling use of my energy mixed with the tiredness caused by Ammit draining me almost entirely.

"It is not because of Hojo," I whispered; my voice deadly quiet. "He's part of it, but not all."

The half-demon continued to watch me, wary for the first time.

"I have been a demon slayer for three years, which is longer than almost every other slayer out there," I hissed. "But that's the thing: I'm a demon slayer. I don't kill humans. I don't murder what isn't the problem. Do you know why I can't do this Inuyasha? _Did you even fucking ask_?"

Still dead silence as Inuyasha moved along the wall, watching me like I was prey. Only, I knew the situation to be entirely opposite.

"I can't do this," I continued, "because I like to think that I'm a good person. Despite the fact that I killed my father and despite the fact that I tore my family apart, I want to believe that deep down I'm a good person. _This_–" I pointed to Hojo. "–does not make me a good person. If I kill that human being that has done nothing wrong until the demon possessed him than I am no better than the fucking evil scum I send to Hell. What the fuck does that make me, Inuyasha? If I kill Hojo, what the _fuck_ does that make me?"

"Someone who does what they have to for the good of mankind," Inuyasha whispered, almost so quiet I could barely hear it over my heavy breathing. Tears were threatening to spill again but I held them back but I couldn't cry. Crying was pointless and useless and never did anything for me than cause me trouble.

"Right, mankind," I snapped, throwing my hands in the air. "What do you know about that?"

Inuyasha didn't take the bait. Instead, he walked out of the room, leaving me there completely alone and utterly destroyed.

I took a moment to compose myself, and to think the situation through. Hojo was being possessed by the demon that couldn't be removed. The demon had to go back to Hell. There was only one option, and I knew it.

"Here," Inuyasha murmured, and I turned around quickly to see my silver gun right before me. "You have to do this."

I shook my head. "I don't want to."

"Shall I?" Inuyasha asked, staring at me seriously. It felt like he was looking right through me, like ever since I clutched at his heart he saw me in a new light.

Shaking, I grabbed the gun and flicked off the safety. "What does this make me?" I whispered one last time, not really expecting an answer. Inuyasha didn't give me one, and before the demon had time to stir again I aimed and fired, again and again and again. I continued to shoot at every vital spot and then some, making sure that at no point would Hojo wake up to feel the immense pain. Bullet after bullet after bullet and I didn't stop until Inuyasha's firm hand grasped my wrist. I had been firing empty the past five rounds.

"We need to go now," I ordered. "Get in my trunk and grab some sort of cloth. We need to smudge prints."

Inuyasha nodded, tugging on me before leaving the room once more. I refused to look at the blood dripping onto the floor, and I followed the half-demon into the kitchen, getting ready to hide all evidence.

"Get out here now!" Inuyasha yelled, and I could tell from the panic edged in his voice that whatever he was screaming about wasn't good.

I followed his voice to the front hall, gun raised even though there was no bullets left in it. "What is it?" I demanded the moment I exited the house, felling the cool breeze pick up around me and freeze the bare skin that was exposed.

Inuyasha tilted his head, golden eyes still wide. "Sirens. _Shit_ Kagome, it's the cops. A lot of them."

"The motel," I whispered, horrified. All of our stuff was in there, and while the clothes could be replaceable there was information on the laptop that tracked many of my previous movements that all involved a couple major felonies.

"I'll run and get it. I'm much faster," Inuyasha responded. "Clean up here and in three minutes you start driving, got it?"

I stalled, unsure of what to really do. I had never murdered a human before and been this close to getting caught. "How... How will you find me?"

"I'll find you wench," Inuyasha replied, barely raising his hand before taking off.

Two minutes later and I was back in my car, revving the engine and speeding out of town, leaving behind more than just a Hell-sent demon, but my own monster. As the darkness engulfed me, I started to wipe angrily at the three tears that made their way down my cheek. I needed to be strong and I needed to suck it up. I didn't deserve a life of happiness or a life of normalcy. This was it for me.

When Inuyasha jumped on top of my car, I swerved to a stop to let him get inside with our bags.

I drove for six hours straight, pushing away thoughts of Wadsworth and all it had dangled in front of me like a treat for a dog.

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**I'm so sorry for the mistakes that are bound to be there somewhere. I only edited the few pages and then gave up.**

**Please let me know what you think! Leave a review!**


	13. Boss Sir? I Quit

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirteen: Boss Sir? I Quit**

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"_I found God on the corner of First and Amistad, where the West was all but won. All alone, smoking his last cigarette, I said 'Where you been?' He said, 'Ask anything.'"_

_-You Found Me, The Fray

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_

It was right after that the dreams started.

The first time it happened was the night after we left Wadsworth. After exhaustion had washed through me, vivid and terrifying nightmares started to haunt the last bit of peace I had left. I woke up sweating and panting, clinging to the duvet cover like it could protect me from the world. Every single time Inuyasha woke up; his superman hearing alerting him to my problems. Instantly he would be beside me, prying the covers from my fingers and brushing the hair off of my drenched face.

It had been three days.

"Wench, there isn't a demon here," Inuyasha said firmly, staring at me with the intense golden eyes I had been receiving since our departure from Wadsworth. He closed the motel door and stepped inside, dropping his duffel bag by the bed and sitting down. "I've run up and down this entire town four times. There's no scent at all and even the story wasn't that suspicious."

I groaned and shut my laptop, leaning my head against the cool table provided. "Great," I muttered. "We need to find more work."

Laughing, I could hear the squeak of the bed as Inuyasha got up and when his warm hand was on my back I tried to hold in the sigh I wanted to release. He had started to become a lot more touchy-feely with me recently, and while I didn't mind, I _did mind_ how much I didn't mind it.

I must be getting really desperate for sex. Or something. Hojo hadn't worked out and he probably never would have considering – well, you know – he was possessed by an Egyptian demon and all. I should go to a bar or a club. Yeah, I should really do that.

"Do you want to go out?" I asked, looking up and staring at him. My half-demon companion was starting to become this weird rock that held me (partially) grounded. He was always there to talk to and maybe this was why I was so desperate for company. We'd been together just over two weeks now and already I couldn't remember what I used to do before he arrived.

A worried frown crossed his lips. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"Why not?" I asked, shrugging his burning hand off of me and standing up. "There's nothing else to do. Hey, for once I'll even get you your own room so you can buy a hooker and get laid."

Inuyasha snorted. "I don't need a hooker. And the reason, by the way, is because you're having shit sleep. You shouldn't go out and party if you can barely stay awake."

"Fine then," I replied, waving my hands in the air. "A nice girl-next-door type. You can break her heart when we leave this town tomorrow."

"You didn't answer the rest."

I titled my head as I stared at him. "Oh, was there a question?"

Our banter was becoming a normal way of communication for us. We tended to bicker more than actually have a conversation, but most of it was light, like right now. Often people gave us weird or disapproving looks – especially in diners where everyone could hear everything. They probably thought I was some lovesick chick who just couldn't live without her boy. They probably thought Inuyasha was some cheating bastard.

"You're having dreams that are keeping you restless at night. Worse than that, you're having dreams that are waking me up at night. I'm a half-demon, but you scrawny human, need your sleep."

I rolled my eyes at him. "Ha ha, very funny. Well then what shall we do? It's past dinner and I sure as hell don't want to start driving anywhere now." I examined him for a moment, watching the way he stumbled over to the bed and flopped down rather ungracefully into the hard mattress. His golden eyes were hidden from view and his long black hair splattered across him, little peeks of silver coming from his roots. "I know what we'll do."

Inuyasha groaned. "I just laid down, wench. Seriously, what?"

"Just a minute." Grabbing my keys, I left the motel room and unlocked the Corvette. Searching around in the trunk, which I _really_ needed to clear out, I made my way through various guns, knives and other weapons, vacuum bags of clothing and small plastic bags of crap. Pulling them all out, I searched them for the object of my desire and when the little rectangular box finally came into sight, I let out a happy "ah ha!"

"Inuyasha!" I called when I entered the motel room, shaking the box. "We are going to touch up your roots."

Looking up briefly, Inuyasha graced me with an incredulous expression before groaning. "No fucking way. That's not happening."

I jumped on his bed and shook him. "There's nothing else to do tonight and besides, I can see your grey."

"Silver," Inuyasha corrected adamantly.

I smiled sweetly. "Whatever you tell yourself at night."

Grumbling, Inuyasha flipped me off and buried his head further into the pillow. I was slightly worried that he was attempting to suffocate himself, but quickly passed that off as Inuyasha's immaturity and lack of sense of secure sexuality. "Complaining about this only makes you more of a girl."

"I might as well chop my balls off right now," Inuyasha yelled, muffled greatly by the pillow covering his face.

I laughed. "Well I have many sharp knives to choose from."

I could've imagined it, but I was sure that he shivered.

"Look, you can even play with my laptop while I do it, how's that?" I bargained, shaking the box like a toy. "Just please try not to break it."

I could practically hear the gears turning in Inuyasha's head, before a sigh fell from his lips and he looked up at me. "This is so degrading."

"Oh suck it up doggy boy and let me colour your hair," I retorted, handing him the laptop and heading towards the bathroom to get started. I put on the gloves and mixed the ingredients together, grabbing a few clips from my duffel bag and making my way back towards the half-demon.

Inuyasha was already situated on the bed, looking at the laptop intently. "You have a lot of bookmarks."

I gave a small snort. "There's a lot of demon lore," I answered, propping myself behind him with my legs around his sides. "Now you probably don't want to breathe this stuff in much."

"Like I have a choice," Inuyasha grunted, shaking his head as I started to play with it. I clipped up most of the top half and then used the brush to layer on the hair dye at the roots. I continued to unclip, clip and apply hair dye until his entire head of hair was loaded with the smelly crap. "You know," Inuyasha said, and I could tell by the tone in his voice he was going to bring up something I potentially wouldn't like. "You've bookmarked this spell."

"I've bookmarked a lot of spells," I replied. "Please tell me you're not looking through them all."

"Well I was," Inuyasha started, "until I came across this spell."

I rolled my eyes and set the bowl of hair dye to the side. I had to take a look at whatever he was staring at. It was probably some man-boosting demon spell that he wanted to try. He was probably trying to make up for the dick-breaking I was performing by dyeing his hair. When I saw the title of the page and the purple sparkling background, I almost smacked the screen down. "Where did you find that?" I hissed, glaring at him over his shoulder. "I buried that in like seven different folders."

"Which is why I figured it was important somehow," Inuyasha replied, throwing a glare back.

It wasn't until then that I realized how ridiculously close our faces were. I was leaning over his shoulder, face tilted towards him as his turned head looked at me. I swallowed hard and shook my head, leaning away and picking up the bowl. "It doesn't work."

"You've tried it?" Inuyasha asked me, standing up and growling when a glob of hair dye leaked onto his face. "This is so horrible. And womanly."

"Oh go chop off your balls," I quipped, grabbing the provided towel and wiping his face.

Inuyasha grabbed the towel from my hands and did it himself, muttering curses. "Again, you tried the spell?"

"Yeah, and it didn't work," I snapped, snatching the towel back and tossing it into the bathroom. "A spell to have a little heart-to-heart with an angel is _bound_ to not work. This is the internet, and people put up false stuff all the time."

"Liar."

I took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of my nose and trying to think of all the reasons why I shouldn't kill him. I honestly didn't come up with very many. "It didn't work."

"You haven't even tried it," Inuyasha retorted, crossing his arms over his broad chest. I tried very hard not to notice the fact that it made his shirt tighter against his skin and _damn_, he had a really– "That's why it's buried in a million folders. You wouldn't have kept it if it didn't work and clearly you're scared to do it since you hid it."

"Thanks Dr. Phil. Want to analyze my daddy issues next?" I spat, turning around on my heel and storming into the bathroom. Slamming the door shut, I leaned against the wood and took another deep breath. This was _not_ what I needed right now. I closed my eyes, seeing flashes of Hojo's pained face and groaned. "I couldn't talk to them anyways," I shouted, even though I knew Inuyasha would hear me whispering through the door. "I...I _killed_ a human when my purpose is to slay demons. Not _once_, have I done a job where I murdered a human being." Sure, they've died afterwards when the demon left their body or when a demon destroyed their insides so that it was impossible for them to live once they were out. But none of that was me physically pulling the trigger on their life, or stabbing through their heart with a knife.

I could hear Inuyasha's grumble on the other end, though I didn't have super-hearing to make out what the exact words were. "You had to do it to kill the demon. It's not like you're going to Hell or anything for it, Ms. Holy Powers."

"How do you know?" I whispered, banging my head against the door and slouched so that I was sitting on the ground. I didn't want to be talking about this anymore.

"I just know," Inuyasha replied and I could hear the light scratch of his nails on the door. "Come on wench. You want to know, don't you? You want to know why you're still being forced to serve and why you can't stop hunting demons. Don't you want to know what the plan is?"

I laughed, though it sounded bitter even to my own ears. "Not particularly."

"There's nothing wrong with trying, is there?"

"There could be a _ton_ wrong with trying. For one, it might not work. Two, it might work but it won't send us an angel. Three, it might work but it explodes and kills us. Four, it might work but it turned out that Heaven is pissed off I'm questioning them so they kill me. Five, it might work but–"

"Please _shut the fuck up_," Inuyasha whined, and the distinct bang on the door led me to believe that his head was now connected with it. "We just need a cup."

If that doesn't tell you it's a fake, I don't know what does. Sighing, I figured that Inuyasha wouldn't let this go until we tried it, so I got to my feet and opened the door. Inuyasha smirked at me the moment he saw my face, waving the small plastic cup that was provided by the motel room. "Thirsty?"

I rolled my eyes. "Never again."

The next thing I knew, I was standing in the middle of the room with Inuyasha hiding out in the far corner. The cup of holy water was in my grasp and I couldn't help but feel absolutely _stupid_. "This is not going to work. I'm holding a plastic cup with a small amount of holy water in it. I'm in the middle of a shoddy motel room that has probably been the place of so many acts of sin it's _ridiculous_, and have I mentioned this is _NOT GOING TO WORK_?"

"Just do that chanting thing," Inuyasha said, pointing to the piece of paper that we unceremoniously taped to the wall so that I wouldn't mess up the chant.

This is so many different kinds of stupid and this was just not going to work in any way, shape or form.

Taking a deep breath and trying to tone down the inner voice calling me many cruel names, I started to read the chant on the wall. "Raagyosl, e vyn nonkyf aspt poamal de zyld." I glared at Inuyasha, who seemed to just be enjoying the show.

Bastard.

"Nyys od dluga lonsa de sybsy myrk oy talho..." I continued to chant, turning my body to address each point that was required. This was so dumb. This was not going to work at all. What kind of sorry angel would come down to see me holding a plastic cup in a crap motel room? No angel, that's right. "...Oy talho y plosy affa zyzop."

Lowering the cup, I looked over at Inuyasha and shot him a pointed look. "Nothing. See? Not a real spell. It's been ten minutes, so we should probably wash out that hair dye."

Inuyasha shrugged. "It was worth finding out, wasn't it?" he asked, stepping closer to me. "And by the way, I can shower by myself, thank you very–"

And then Inuyasha suddenly fell to the floor, mouth wide open and eyes closed as if he was dreaming away. Completely startled I looked up to where Inuyasha had been, and there before my eyes was a woman so...normal looking...

Wait, I'm confused.

"Hello Kagome," the woman said, smiling with pale pink lips. "I see that you've finally decided that it's time to talk."

Frowning, I looked back down at Inuyasha and pointed. "Is he okay?"

Tilting her lips, the woman's eyes seemed almost amused. "He's unconscious. He'll be awake when I depart."

Ah. Alrighty then. "So," I started, stepping away and holding out the cup I had used, "you're a...what? Angel?"

"What do you think?" the woman asked with no trace of sarcasm in her voice. She sounded far too honest for my liking, since I was used to Inuyasha's angry banter. Her genuineness was going to get me in trouble somehow.

I shrugged. "I really don't like labels. Labels make me a Satanist."

Like right now. I should just shut up. Insert foot in mouth. Now.

The woman gave another smile before taking a step forward, narrowly missing Inuyasha's head. "My name is Midoriko, and I'm aware you have questions."

"Yes," I answered. "The first one being when will he wake up? Because I was touching up his roots and it could turn really bad if I don't wash the crap off soon."

Shut up. Shut up. _Shut up_.

"There is a plan Kagome," Midoriko continued, as if I hadn't spoken. I was slightly grateful but irritated at the fact that I was so easily overlooked. "We need you."

"I gathered that from the fact that demons can still slit my throat even though I've killed close to three-hundred demons. Wait? Wasn't there a cap to this demon hunting spree? One-hundred?"

I should just jump off a bridge or something.

"Your powers are needed to get it," Midoriko admitted, nodding slowly and taking another step closer. "There are very few of those Chosen that can lead us. You are the only one left at this time and we fear the war has begun."

"The only one left at this time?" I asked, frowning. "Do you just make little demon slayer babies to serve your purpose?"

"Evil must be kept in check," Midoriko said quietly, looking at me with her dark eyes. "There must always be a balance, but this is being threatened."

"By Hell," I added, nodding. "So you can't pop 'em out fast enough to keep your army going, the war has started and now you guys are more or less shit out of luck?"

The smile returned. "We only need you, Kagome. You are the only one that can possess it."

"And what is that?" I asked, taking a step back as she took another step forward.

"In time," she whispered and then as if she was never there, the space she used to occupy was empty and Inuyasha was groaning.

"What the _fuck_ happened?" he cursed, pushing against the floor and trying to sit up. He looked disoriented and shocked. He fell flat on his ass and looked around, his hair sticking out everywhere and right cheek imprinted with the distinct pattern of the carpet. "Is the room spinning?"

"Yeah. While you were sleeping a big tornado swept us up. Currently, we're flying in the air and if you look out the window, you'll see the Wicked Witch of the West on her broomstick," I snapped, feeling more frustrated and more annoyed than I had felt in a long time. Somehow, someway, a stupid internet spell worked and actually allowed me to summon an angel. Said angel spoke mostly in riddles and told me _nothing_.

Maybe this was the universe's way of saying _that's what you get for not shoving your foot in your mouth sooner_.

Sighing and grabbing Inuyasha's hand, I dragged him up and into the bathroom, bending him over so that his head was dangling in the gross and highly questionable bathtub. "Come on dog boy," I muttered, replaying the angel scene over and over again in my mind.

Was it all a trick? Did that really happen? What did she mean with the whole "you are the only one that can possess it" crap?

It? What was _it?_

_In time._

Right. Because I had all the time in the world. With demons trying to kill me at every turn, a sneaky half-demon at my side and holy powers that were more of a curse than a gift, the chances of me living to next week were slim.

_In time_.

Yeah, my ass.

Turning on the water and shoving Inuyasha's head under it, I raked my gloved hands through his black locks and grit my teeth. This was all his stupid fault anyways for being a snoop.

So this is what it came down to, is it? Heaven wants me for some secretive plan that I don't know about and I can't get out of.

Well mister God boss, I quit.

I'm just going to keep killing every single creature with red eyes and a nature to murder, and hopefully one day, my time served will be up.

"Kagome," Inuyasha asked, and I could tell that he was in pain by the sound of his voice.

But I ignored it, because my thoughts were currently more important. _Your powers are needed to get it_. What the _hell _was "it"? And what did my powers have to do with anything? Purifying demonic hearts was the way to saving the world? Hadn't I already been doing that for a while now?

Did I miss some major memo?

**Dear Kagome,**

**You are to kill every demon until you die.**

**Sincerely, the Universe**

**P.S. Yes, we are just doing this to fuck with you.**

"Kagome this fucking _burns_!" Inuyasha yelled, getting out from underneath the spray and glaring fire at me through golden eyes.

Realizing what I had been doing and that I only had the 'hot' tap on, I felt just the slightest bit guilty for burning Inuyasha's skull off. "Sorry," I murmured. "I, uh, was just thinking."

Inuyasha shot some more daggers into my head before letting out an exasperated sigh and leaning over the tub. "Don't beat yourself up about the spell not working. There has to be a real one somewhere."

Shoving his head under the tap with the cold tap on, I reached over for some shampoo before spreading it into his hair. "Oh it worked alright," I growled, frowning deeply. "Angels have some weird sense of talking and answering questions."

"Angels? It _worked_?" Suddenly, Inuyasha shot out from under the water and looked at me, long black hair whipping around so that I was soaked from the water droplets shaken from him.

Looking down at my t-shirt and then back up at him, I let out a frustrated sigh. "Can we talk about this later? When I have a bottle of Vodka in my hands or something? _Please_?"

Inuyasha smirked, ignoring my last comment. "I _told_ you it would work."

"Get your head under the water or I will shoot you," I replied sweetly, grabbing a fistful of his hair and forcing him back under the warm spray.

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**Please let me know what you think!**


	14. The End of a Rainbow

**So this is 58 minutes late. Whoops.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Fourteen: The End of a Rainbow**

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"_I'm so high I can hear Heaven. I'm so high, I can hear Heaven. Oh but Heaven, no Heaven don't hear me. And they say that a hero can save us, I'm not going to stand here and wait."_

_-Hero, Nickelback

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_

Two days later and we were driving into the city limits of Lowell, Massachusetts. The windows were down a bit to let the cool air waft in and the sun was just barely peeking through the clouds. Inuyasha was holding on to several papers, most of them printed from the internet regarding the most recent deaths that we were going to investigate.

So far there had only been two that we connected. The first death was of a middle-aged man whose family moved out of the city a while back. Their newest residence was on the way and while dressing up in our impressive fake uniforms, we managed to talk to the family briefly about what happened. Apparently, the man had been going crazy looking for treasure that was sure to be buried in his neighbours' backyards. While that was strange to the max, Inuyasha and I decided to go to Lowell where the events occurred.

It wasn't until we got set up in a motel just three blocks away from the second victim's house that we learned the funeral was today. Throwing Inuyasha a button up shirt and black slacks, we got ready in near silence before taking off and heading to the cemetery.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?' Inuyasha asked, leaning down to whisper in my ear as we walked through the iron gates of Lowell Cemetery.

I gave him a sharp look. "It's a fine idea. I do this all the time. Just don't say much and be vague as often as possible. A lot of these people are so distressed that they don't really care anyways, as long as you're there to pay respects."

Inuyasha mumbled something under his breath but followed me closely anyways. There was a fair-sized crowd gathering, people hugging and crying everywhere. As we came closer, I worked up tears to my face. When I cried, I looked horrible. Not only did my makeup run like a river (despite the _waterproof guarantee_) but my face was so red I tended to look like a cherry. My eyes went ridiculously puffy and my nose started to run... It was a terrible scene. It was safer to just try to make my face a bit red instead of the full works.

"I need your ears to be working overtime," I whispered. "Anything you hear, you remember. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am," Inuyasha replied, sarcasm dripping. "Anything else?"

"Nope, that'll be all sweetie," I murmured, casting my eyes down as we approached the thick of the crowd. We stood together, idly listening as I watched for Inuyasha's reactions. We softly made small talk about the weather, which neither of us cared about but didn't want anyone to get suspicious. I watched his face for any sort of hint that he heard anything.

Inuyasha's eyes locked on mine and I had about five seconds of warning before a soft hand was placed on my shoulder. I turned around, trying to school my features into an expression of sadness before facing a petite woman with short, dark hair. I didn't know her name but I tried to look as unsurprised as possible at how tenderly she looked at me.

"You must be Amy," the woman said, smiling gently with puffy eyes. "And Yuri, correct? You're earlier than I thought you would be. I can see the resemblance between you and…and…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at the casket, prepared above the hole that it would soon be lowered in once the service was over. "I just wish you got to meet him before he passed away," she whispered finally, squeezing my shoulder. "He would've loved to meet his only niece. He probably would've spoiled you rotten."

I gave a small smile in return, reaching out and patting her arm. "I know. I wished I could've known him better." Reaching behind me, I grabbed Inuyasha's hand and dragged him beside me. "Is there anything we can do for you?"

The woman shook her head, finally letting go of my shoulder. "There's nothing you can do. Please, feel free to talk to anyone. I told everyone to expect you."

I nodded, thanking her and dragging Inuyasha away. The moment we were out of earshot from the short-haired woman I raised my brows at him. "Have you gotten anything yet? We need to really book it now. If these other relatives come claiming to be Amy and Yuri, we're fucked."

Inuyasha shrugged and looked around, eyeing the crowd of grievers and sobbing individuals. "Not much though I think I learned something while you were talking to that woman." He fixed his eyes back towards me. "The victim was apparently looking for rainbows."

"Rainbows?" I asked, puzzled. "Why would he look for them?"

"You think I know what you stupid humans do for fun?" Inuyasha asked, smirking. "Right. Now do you want to go or not?"

"Let's haul ass," I replied, dropping his hand and walking back to the car. We gave small smiles to those we passed. A lot of them were probably relatives of the deceased and while no one called us out, I dreaded the idea that the real Amy and Yuri would be found and we'd be sticking out like sore thumbs. Finally passing through the gate, we walked down the block to my waiting Corvette. Jumping into the car, I started her up and sped off.

"We should get some food before searching again," I stated, trying to direct myself to where the heart of town would be. I've passed through Massachusetts multiple times in the three years I had been working as a demon slayer but I had never gone through Lowell before. It wasn't a small town like I would usually solve cases in, which disturbed me somewhat. Demons typically liked to wreck absolute havoc and while that could be easily done in cities, small towns were more likely to get caught up in the problems than a large city where death was a common occurrence.

"Are we going to hit up the police department today?" Inuyasha asked, leaning back in the leather seat and closing his eyes. "I wouldn't mind a nap actually."

"We're going to try to stay out of the police business for a while," I responded, turning down what looked like a promising street. "After what happened in Wadsworth – no matter how far away – I would rather let the suspicion die down before we set out on that ship again. No, we'll do this the sleuth way."

"And how do we do that?"

"You listen and smell and I put the human pieces together," I answered, smiling. "I'm almost happy that I got a dog."

"Fucking wench," Inuyasha muttered without heat, already feeling sleep pull him under.

"Don't fall asleep on me dog boy," I said, poking him in the chest while keeping the other hand on the wheel. "We're going to get some food in like five minutes. What do you feel like drive-thru or an actual place to sit and eat?"

"Can't you cook a meal yourself?" Inuyasha asked, opening one eye and peering at me. "You're a woman. Shouldn't you be able to cook?"

We almost drove off the road I was so intent on causing him pain. "Sexist pig," I muttered. "Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean I know how to cook."

"So you don't?"

"No, I can," I said, albeit grudgingly. "But it's too hard to go to the supermarket and get food. They're a lot more careful than diners typically are of scams and even if I got food, we'd need to eat it all before we left town anyways. The trunk is already exploding thanks to your crap."

"I was fine with one pair of jeans," Inuyasha snorted, turning around in the seat to look at me. "It's you that thought I needed four pairs."

"One pair is disgusting," I replied, wrinkling my nose. If I only had one outfit, I would have to do laundry at least once a day. It wouldn't be pretty.

We finally found some sort of diner and since Inuyasha hadn't responded to my question of his preferred choice, I picked for him. It was a popular diner – I had seen more than one in several different states. Dragging a grumpy Inuyasha behind me, we sat down and waited for our server to arrive.

"I hope it's another woman," Inuyasha said with a smirk, eyeing the few waitresses that were around. "I'd love to see your face when I get hit on again."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, because you're _so_ hot. There isn't a bigger turn off out there than a guy who boasts about his attractiveness. It's boring, obvious and we hate you all the more for it."

Inuyasha relaxed into the booth and put his feet up just to the left of my body, resting on the seat I was on. "You're just jealous."

There was a witty comeback on the tip of my tongue but just before I was going to say it, a really good-looking _male_ server came over to us and smiled. Now, _that_ was more like it. "Good afternoon," the male said, giving us a big grin and tossing back his longish brown hair. "Welcome to Rosie's. Can I start the lovely couple off with some drinks?"

"Oh, we're not together," Inuyasha said quickly, looking quite peeved that his plan to woo over another woman failed epically. "Trust me on that one," he added, the sourness of his voice making him sound like a dick more than it made me look like a bitch.

Which was a good thing because the server frowned at me. "I'm sorry. I generally don't like to make assumptions," he said, looking worried.

"Oh, it doesn't matter," I replied quickly, giving him my sweetest smile and resting my head in my one hand. If Inuyasha got to flirt with the female servers then I sure as hell got to flirt with the male ones. "He's just a bit cranky from the long drive."

The server laughed lightly before smiling back at me. "So what would you like to drink then?"

"Water would be great," I replied, tilting my head just so and blinking up at him innocently.

Inuyasha clearly caught on to what I was doing and he growled. "Get me a coke or whatever," he snapped, glaring a hole in my head.

I looked at him pointedly. "Now don't be rude. You can sleep when we finish our food, okay?"

"I'll be right back with your drinks," the server said, barely glancing at Inuyasha before smiling at me again.

The moment he was gone, Inuyasha's feet were off of my bench seat and he was leaning across, growling. "What the hell was that?" he asked, amber eyes flashing. "You complain about me flirting and then you go and do it? Hypocritical much?"

I waved my hand at him, dismissing him easily. "It's just a bit of payback. It's not like he's going to tell me he's on break in a few minutes and wants to _get to know me_ out back, you know?" Although at this level of desperation that I seemed to be reaching, I probably wouldn't mind if he did. "Just relax doggy boy." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me so hard it had to have hurt. I gave him a glare of my own before tracing patterns into the wood table we sat at. "So what do you think about the treasure hunting bit?"

The half-demon before me shrugged and put his feet back up beside me. "It could be possession. We weren't near any of the bodies to smell sulphur. We connected the two men by _how _they died but we still need to figure out why the demon chose them. One was searching for treasure while the other was searching for rainbows."

I nodded absentmindedly, scratching at a particular rough spot in the wood. I opened my mouth to answer but the sudden clink of glasses on the table made me look up to see our attractive server.

"Have you figured out what you wanted?" he asked, smiling nicely at me before looking at Inuyasha. "I can come back if you still need time."

"Please don't," Inuyasha muttered under his breath and just barely hearing it, I nudged at his propped up leg. Shaking his head at me distastefully, he ordered his food with a plastered fake smile. "And what would you like babe?"

I almost gagged. "Don't ever," I quipped at Inuyasha before giving the hot server an apologetic look. "Ignore him, again. I'll have the feature salad with chicken please."

Looking at the two of us with slight confusion, he took the menus. "I'll plug that right in. If you need anything more, just let me know."

When he turned and left, I almost kicked him in the balls. "You would be the worst best friend if I was a guy," I said, irritated for reasons unknown. "If I was you would've seriously just cock-blocked me. You know, had genders been reversed and all that." Whatever. I couldn't even tell what I was trying to say anymore. I desperately needed to go to a club. Maybe after this case was over. "And back to what we were talking about... I get the rainbows."

Eyebrow raised perfectly, Inuyasha's golden eyes watched me. "What?"

"There's treasure at the end of a rainbow," I said simply. "This demon is convincing humans to search for treasure. I don't think it's possession though. The wife of the first victim said he was the same as always – just obsessive. She didn't notice red eyes or weird strength or anything."

"And what demon is that?" he asked, taking a sip from his drink. His foot suddenly nudged against my ass and I jumped, looking at the offending object and then back at his face. "What?" he asked, looking far too innocent.

I ignored that last part. "A powerful son of a bitch," I replied, tapping my nails against the wood. "Astaroth. He's one of the dukes of Hell."

"No," Inuyasha replied quickly. "It can't be him. He controls like forty legions and shit like that. Working magic on humans is below him."

"But it fits. He likes to provoke and lead men to hidden treasure, which both of our victims were trying to find. Maybe there's a reason that he's here that we don't know about yet," I said, shrugging. "If it is him, we need to find out where he is."

"And how do you suppose we do that?" Inuyasha asked, looking at me like I was growing another head. Yes. Probably one of the most used analogies out there but it did suit the situation perfectly.

Looking around the diner, I found our server and waved him over. Tilting my head and putting on an innocent expression, I tried to look thoughtful. "I'm really sorry to bother you but do you know of any abandoned places around here? Old building complexes or something like that?"

Biting his lower lip, the server thought about it for a moment, eyeing Inuyasha. "Um, there are several around here. It's not a small place to live. There are two I can think of close to here. The first one is on Jackson by Gorham and the other on Bowers and Salem." He studied me for a long moment, as if in consideration. "Are you tourists?"

"You could call us that," I replied cheekily, grinning. "I've been in Massachusetts before but never Lowell."

"Well welcome then." Turning around at his name being called – Jackson, Jeffrey? – he gave a wave before leaving.

"_Well welcome then_," Inuyasha mimicked in an unusually high-pitch. "He was undressing you with his eyes."

"Then that makes up for when you were eyeing the hooker's breasts, you perv," I shot back, shaking my head. "Are you so focused on making my life miserable that you're not even considering the case? This demon could be in one of the abandoned buildings. He's a _duke_ of _Hell_. Trust me – he's going to be holing out somewhere."

"Are you still on the hooker thing?" Inuyasha growled, throwing his hands up into the air.

Way to prove my point.

* * *

"Yolcam lonshi pir, yolcam lonshi iaida: zacare ca od zamran, odo cicle qaa," I murmured, repeating the chant three times before dropping the silver rings into the metal bowl of herb-tainted water. I touched the bowl and slowly put pressure on the sides to make the water roll around, just barely splashing out the rim. "Hoath iadia," I said precisely as I dipped my hands into the water and pulled out the rings, splashing holy water across them.

Inuyasha was grumbling beside me in the motel room. "What the hell are you saying now wench?" my half-demon companion asked, sighing. "What are you even speaking?"

"Enochian," I said slowly, picking up the bowl of water after slipping the rings into my back pocket. "I needed to empower the rings. Hopefully one of them will fit on one of your fingers."

"Like angel babble?" Inuyasha spat out, groaning and pulling the pillow around his head. "Last time you did that, I got zapped by an angel."

"You're the one that wanted me to summon the angel in the first place," I reminded him, pouring out the contents into the sink. "Besides we're going to need the rings to survive. Astaroth apparently smells and wearing these rings will protect us from suffocating."

Inuyasha's laugh surprised me, hardly having heard it for weeks now. "He smells? Are you serious? He's a duke of Hell. I think we're going to need more than a ring."

Flipping him the bird, I jumped onto my own bed and relaxed into the brutally hard mattress. The motel room was the same as all the others I had been in – not nice but not disgusting. "Any clue what he's doing here?"

"You're dead set on the idea that this demon _is_ Astaroth," the half-demon interjected, turning around so he was lying on his side to face me. I could see his golden eyes even in the dying light from the setting sun. "Why do you think it's him?"

I shrugged. "Instinct? I've been doing this a long time and when I feel like I've got the right demon, I generally stick to it. It just...makes sense. I mean I just summoned an angel and there is apparently some plan going on. Why wouldn't a duke of Hell go topside for a bit to wreck havoc? Isn't that in the job description of being a demon?"

"You make it sound like I would know," he said, frowning. "I'm only a half-demon you know. I don't have the drive like full demons do."

There was something in his voice that made me turn around to face him, watching the conflicting expressions on his face. His golden eyes held an intensity that would probably be forever unmatched by any other man. Never mind the colour, Inuyasha's eyes held _emotion_ that was almost the definition of _too much_. "You sound like that's a bad thing," I replied, continuing to watch him. "You don't want to be a demon. I'd have to kill you."

A rough laugh later and Inuyasha was standing up, so close to my bed that I had to blink a couple times to make sure I hadn't been imagining it. When did he move so fucking fast? Why did he sound so...odd? He took a step closer until his knees were touching the edge of my mattress, long black hair flowing down his shoulders as he leaned over me. "You could probably kill me you know," he murmured, tilting his head.

I had to swallow around the lump that was in my throat. "Uh, duh? Of course I can. One way or another..." I nodded, pushing myself up off the mattress and sitting close to where he stood. "We should go now. It's finally dark."

For a while, Inuyasha didn't move from his spot by my bed. I went around to gather our belongings because after the Wadsworth Incident (as I am now going to call it), we decided that we should always pack up when we leave the motel, even if we plan on coming back. You see, this was never a problem for me before. Just another tick against Inuyasha for why I should kill him.

"Are you coming?" I asked, throwing him a look and nudging my way through the door. "Grab your duffel."

Shrugging to himself, for reasons that are completely unknown to me, Inuyasha finally turned and grabbed his bag. "Move it, wench," he muttered as he shoved past me out the door.

Wow. Moody much?

The problem with the abandoned building complexes was that both of the locations were in the middle of _everything_. There were storefronts all around, people walking to and fro laughing with ice cream or French vanilla lattes in their hands. This, of course, made things even harder for us. We were currently on Jackson Street since it was the closest location. We slid out of the Corvette after parking a block away in a more quiet part of the city. I got the various weapons that I wanted (a gun and knife, just in case) and then handed Inuyasha one of the rings.

"Have you even been here before?" I asked Inuyasha, smiling like we were having the _best_ time – because nothing says a night out on the town like slaying a duke of Hell.

He frowned. "Uh no. I was mostly in Canada for the summer and when I wasn't there I was in the most southern part of the States. I don't like the cold. Why?"

"Because we need to blend in with our surroundings," I explained, gesturing around at the area and the people milling about. "If the police get into this, people can phone in and say they saw two strange unhappy looking people walking down Jackson Street from Gorham. Then the police will take it as a lead, check out security cameras and such. If we look like we're just hanging out as friends, no one will point us out."

"Two people not talking to each other and looking unhappy is suspicious behaviour to you humans?" Inuyasha asked, shaking his head. "What if we were just in a fight?"

"Doesn't matter," I replied. "It's the principle of the thing we need to focus on." Slapping his shoulder roughly and laughing, I pointed at what looked like really yummy donuts in the window. "Don't those look good?"

"You are so embarrassing," Inuyasha muttered, walking away towards the building.

Ugh.

Trying to look as inconspicuous as possible, Inuyasha and I hovered by the door to the building. I reached into my bag and pulled out a small satchel of lock-picking tools.

"Seriously?" Inuyasha asked, rolling his eyes and smacking my hand away. "Let me do this." With a small growl, my half-demon companion tapped at the door before punching it and letting it swing open like there was never a lock. "Much more effective," he announced, smirking at me.

Ugh. Again.

It turned out that the building was not the one being used for our demon so quickly making our way out, we ran towards the car and drove to Bowers and Salem. The abandoned building here was an actual apartment, where two-storey houses lined the streets with illuminated windows shining light on the street below. I parked the car a block away once more, making sure we weren't in a no-parking zone before racing back to our next location. The apartment building was actually really creepy. It had clearly been broken into before by drug dealers because pipes and papers littered the floor.

"Classy," I mumbled, shining my small pencil-flashlight and avoiding the shattered glass by my feet. I hesitated, waiting in the darkness.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha asked, stepping closer to me.

_Beep... Beep..._

"He's here," I whispered, looking around for some sort of stairway. "Upper floor though. I only have a weak reading."

"Oh, I forgot your demon radar," Inuyasha hissed back, grabbing my wrist and pointing the flashlight to a set of doors that led to the stairs. We silently made our way closer, looking up at the rounded flights of stairs in slight horror.

"I didn't realize there were so many storeys," I sighed. "I need you to listen carefully. Make sure the demon doesn't know we're on to him."

"Trust me," Inuyasha said, not as quietly as I would've preferred. "He already knows. But good effort." Grabbing my waist, I squeaked slightly as he picked me up and threw me over his shoulder. "Hold on."

"To what, your ass?" I snapped, wrapping my arms around his torso the best I could while hanging upside down.

I swear Inuyasha was laughing.

And then we were flying.

"Fucking _Christ_," I hissed, trying not to scream and whack him. "Are you trying to kill us?"

"I'm trying to get us up the stairs in less than thirty years," Inuyasha retorted, landing in a crouch and jumping up again.

I buried my face in his back. "This is not humanly possible," I murmured. "I can't believe this is happening."

"I'm a half-demon so of course it's not humanly possible wench."

Ugh. Times three.

Landing on what I assumed was the top floor Inuyasha flung me back over his shoulder so that I was standing upright. If I had to be honest though, I definitely had major head rush and that was not a good feeling when you were potentially getting into a fight with a duke of Hell. "Okay, on the count of three."

"This is stupid," Inuyasha told me, crossing his arms.

"One, two–"

"Kagome Higurashi," a deep voice drawled, a strange accent lilting the gravely sound. "How kind of you to finally join us."

Okay.

Did I miss something?

Gun in hand I swung at the demon with my foot. Moments later I was on the ground, face on the disgusting carpet floor. I could hear Inuyasha's growl on top of me and when I looked up I saw his body crashing into the wall beside me. This was not looking good. I flipped onto my back and aimed the gun at the demon, shooting off three bullets in the heart and one to the head.

Astaroth groaned in pain and staggered backwards. "Fucking _bitch_," he hissed.

I scrambled up, taking steps forward to purify him with my hand when all of a sudden I was flown back into the wall by an unseen force, gun flying down the stairs.

"Please bitch," the demon snarled, looking at me with piercing red eyes. "I just want to talk."

Yeah, last time I was told that, I gained a half-demon apprentice. Great. This should go well.

* * *

**Let me know what you think :)**


	15. Playing Joker

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Fifteen: Playing Joker**

* * *

"_Hide in your shell 'cause the world is out to bleed you for a ride. What will you gain making your life a little longer? Heaven or Hell was the journey cold that gave your eyes of steel, shelter behind, painting your mind and playing joker."_

_-Hide in your Shell, Supertramp_

* * *

There was something to be said about Hell: at least they trained their bitches well.

Not.

"A demon that wants to talk," I mumbled, fighting against the invisible restraints that had me nearly choking. "Sounds like something Satan would plan. Please, don't mind me. I'm just a little startled by this new revelation."

The choking feeling persisted until I was coughing, scratching at the walls desperately and looking at Inuyasha with wide-eyes. He wasn't choking but he was flattened against the side wall, watching me like I was going to explode at any moment. He almost looked sad.

"Stop!" Inuyasha yelled, growling as he looked at Astaroth. "She'll shut her mouth just stop choking her!"

"Ah, Inuyasha," Astaroth said, grinning wickedly and making a clicking noise with his tongue. The bullet wounds to his body were already healed. "Why would you care about her, huh? Last I heard–"

"I will _rip_ you apart," Inuyasha swore, the growl in his throat deepening.

Astaroth's grin only grew. The choking presence faded and I took in deep lungful of air, coughing roughly when I took in too much. Son of a bitch, this was _not_ going the way I planned it. I looked at Astaroth with suspicious eyes, taking in his human form. He was half-white and half-black, looking like any other ordinary male human. The only startling trait was his bleeding red eyes that blinked furiously while I stared. "See something you like?" the demon purred, stepping closer to me and grabbing my chin. "Ah yes, the famous Kagome Higurashi. I am so happy you decided to join me, honestly."

"Wish I could say the same," I shot back, cringing when he nipped the left side of my jaw. "What do you want?" I asked, motioning for Inuyasha to calm down, to stop growling like an incessant dog. The moment Astaroth's teeth made contact with my skin it was like Inuyasha was set ablaze. All of a sudden he was thrashing against the invisible force, growl impossibly louder.

"Call off your dog," Astaroth whispered in my ear, backing away slowly and snapping his fingers.

Instantly, whatever was holding me back was completely removed. I stumbled forwards, barely catching my balance as I watched the duke of Hell with cautious eyes. I couldn't necessarily believe that this wasn't a trap. I nodded at Inuyasha, listening to the snap of Astaroth's fingers as suddenly Inuyasha was free too. I grabbed the material of his shirt before he could do anything stupid – like get us pinned to the wall again for attacking.

"What is there to talk about?" I asked, letting go of Inuyasha and stepping in front of him. I tried to ignore how Inuyasha growled again and stepped back in front of me. I did not need to be protected, dammit. "Why even talk at all?"

Astaroth smiled. "Follow me."

He didn't really give us much room to object. We entered through the door, walking into a large room that was clearly left for storage rather than more apartments. Boxes were tossed to the far side with big industrial lights well-illuminating the dusty room. The curtains were spread open, letting the stars show through. In the middle of the space was a small table, standing out like a sore thumb. The table was metal, shiny and clean, free from any dust that the rest of the room had been cruelly subjected to.

Astaroth placed his hand on the metal surface, wiping it before turning to Inuyasha and me. "Kagome, you are aware that you are the Chosen, right? Heaven has picked you out of their weed-littered garden to get the object in which they desire and thus, save the world?"

"Let's say that," I agreed, remembering my talk – or lack of talk – with Midoriko. It seemed that I may get more out of a duke of Hell than an angel. Wasn't that a sad fact? "What does it have to do with anything? Are you going to kill me so you can rein your evil demonic rule over the planet?"

The duke of Hell laughed, red eyes disappearing for a moment while he closed them. "Oh Kagome, the little that you know surprises me."

"It surprises me too," I shot back, looking at Inuyasha and trying to get a read. Maybe Inuyasha was being smart and trying to figure out a way to take this demon down. I hope to god he was being smart. "Would you like to be the lucky one to fill me in?"

"Ooh, I'd get that pleasure?" Astaroth replied. "Sure, why not? Come here Kagome, please."

There was nothing about that statement that made me want to come any closer to him than I already was. Inuyasha clearly felt the same. "She can stay beside me, thanks," he snarled, hands tightened into fists.

"You, Inuyasha, are the definition of a broken record. You know, I've never really liked humans. They're tiring and very boring. However, there is this...characteristic about them. It's like those human track runners – you know the ones that run around the same circle too many times to count? That is their life." Astaroth paused for a bit, frowning. "No, I'm saying this wrong. A human's_life_ is that track in which they run on. They follow the same circle time and time again. The world keeps turning but they don't stop doing the same things over and over and over. Wake up, have breakfast, go to work, cheat on the husband or wife, have lunch, make phone calls, go home, have dinner, lie to the husband or wife, go to bed. Something like that," the demon murmured, waving his hand. "You humans are so dramatic. Regardless Inuyasha, my point is that you never change and you're just going to get burned."

"What is he talking about?" I asked, frowning deeply. Any insight into Inuyasha's past or self-run mission was important and vital information for me to store, but what this demon was saying wasn't exactly sounding good. "Inuyasha?"

But my half-demon wasn't looking at me. His gaze was focused on Astaroth, glaring daggers at his face with his bottom lip curled in a snarl.

"Anyways," Astaroth continued, smiling as if Inuyasha wasn't there. "Kagome, my star, we must talk."

"I'm not your star," I said automatically, crossing my arms. "And spit it out, whatever it is so I can kill you."

Astaroth laughed again, as if I was the funniest thing he had ever crossed. "Just because you're Chosen Kagome doesn't mean that you have to work for Heaven. You can just as easily work for Hell, for me."

I couldn't help it. I burst out laughing at least twice as loud as Astaroth had previously. That was just...so..._fucking_ hilarious. "Because _that's_ exactly what I want to do," I said between chokes of laughter, trying to calm myself down. I grabbed onto Inuyasha's sleeve to stabilize myself and ended up almost crashing into him. "Leave Heaven for Hell? I'm sorry, does that sound appealing? No? Look at the lack of shock on my face since I'm so fucking _unsurprised_."

Astaroth shrugged. "Well, you see it wouldn't be all that bad. You help us and the demons will stop attacking you. Simple as that. It's more than Heaven can promise. How many of us have you killed? Yet you still have to hunt and still have no life."

The laughter died down pretty quickly. "Why the hell would I do that? If I help you with _whatever_, you're just going to destroy everything and everyone. Why would I do that?"

For a moment, the duke of Hell looked surprised. His features lifted before quickly schooling themselves into the calm demeanour he always assumed. "You don't know then."

This was pretty much my life – the whole "not knowing" business. I don't know why I was Chosen. I don't know why Heaven won't let me go. I don't know why Inuyasha is with me. I don't know why his eyes are gold when every other demon's is red. I don't know why I keep him with me in the first place. I don't know why I prefer rock music to pop or Pepsi over Coca-Cola or why the sky is blue and the grass is green. This would be why I remained unsurprised and completely calm over his statement. Obviously I didn't know. Clearly, I didn't know much.

Inuyasha took a step forward, watching Astaroth with his sharp gold eyes. "What don't we know?" He was inching forward bit by slow bit and maybe if I bought him time I could help him with whatever he was planning.

"Do you even know what the object is? What this whole war is about?"

I raised my eyebrows at him. Was he seriously asking me that? The look I gave him must have been clue enough because he continued on. "The Shikon No Tama, what you would call Jewel of Four Souls. It can make any person powerful beyond their wildest dreams."

I filed the information he told me for later, watching Inuyasha in my peripherals sneak closer. "And what would Heaven or Hell want with this jewel? From where I'm looking, you're both more powerful than the earth in which humans live. Why need the jewel?"

Drumming his fingers on the metal table, Astaroth turned away for a moment before spinning back around at lightning speed. "Humans are so..._dumb_. Yes, there is God and there is Satan, the big men in the attic and basement but when it comes to war? Often the men in the highest positions are hidden away, are they not? Your president would be taken away to a safe and hidden location if another deadly attack were to be performed, yes? Order is everything and the highest member of that order must be kept to avoid chaos and further destruction, yes?"

"You tend to ramble," I pointed out.

"This war is not of either's doing," Astaroth said simply, shrugging. "It's more the little _servants_ of each that are starting this war. You know, demon slayers on one side and low-class demons on the other. Heaven and Hell are merely titles to determine which side is which."

"But demons only look after themselves," I said immediately, shaking my head at his logic. "Demons don't _band_ together and sing Kumbaya while holding hands. They stay solo and wreck havoc. That's just how the world works."

The duke of Hell grinned. "Exactly. Now that I leave you with that pertinent information, I'm going to direct you to my assistant Aamon. I hope you like your fortune being told. We'll have all the details figured out so you don't have to kill me and I don't have to kill you...yet."

"What about those men?" I growled, bracing myself for anything. "Why would you kill them?"

Astaroth seemed almost amused. "To get you here of course."

Of course. "But making them chase treasure? The whole 'looking for rainbows' bit? Couldn't you just make it look like there were demonic acts going around instead of murdering them?"

"Well," the duke of Hell said, tapping his hands on the desk, "it _is_ a bit ironic. I mean, I killed two men chasing rainbows when really I'm trying to find you, who is doing nothing but chasing rainbows."

"Right because I believe in Leprechauns," I snapped. "The logic is astounding."

"No, but you're chasing the end of it. Your life path _is_ a rainbow, working for Heaven. You have ultimate freedom; no rules, no boundaries... Yet you hate it. You hate how the colours will always be red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. You can't jump off the rainbow so instead you race to the end of it – the end of the rainbow. The one-way, first-class ticket to Heaven."

I didn't know what to say. I couldn't refute that logic because that's all I wanted. I wanted out. I wanted Heaven to leave me alone. Still, I wanted to end up there despite all the terrible things I do. I steal. I use fraud to survive. I lie and cheat and usually get my way with violence if necessary. None of that leads to Heaven.

"Well now I shall be off," Astaroth said, grinning and clapping his hands. "So nice to talk."

"You're leaving?" I asked, crossing my arms. "I don't think so."

"But I _know_ so. It was a pleasure to meet you my star. I'll be watching you." With a laugh and glinting eyes, Astaroth disappeared.

The little radar in my head went dead silent.

I looked at Inuyasha, glaring. "Why the hell were you so fucking quiet for?" I asked, punching him lightly on the shoulder. "I thought for a moment there you were going to edge up on the guy and attack him."

Inuyasha's golden eyes caught my gaze and there again was the undeniable intensity that always lingered under the surface. The message that was underneath was _there_ but unreachable, stopping me from discovering any more. "Didn't get the chance."

I opened my mouth to question him, to make him tell me what was up and why all of a sudden a demon hunt bothered him. I never got the chance when my radar starting going off wildly, the beeping noise nearly flat-lining. I whipped around, body ready for any sort of attack.

"Star, huh? He must really like you." A demon stood at the far side of the room, red eyes gleaming in the light. He looked normal in appearance by wearing a human costume. The body was of an older male in a black business suit and deep red tie. It was almost unsettling how closely the eyes matched.

"Possession," Inuyasha whispered to me, his nose crinkling. "I smell the sulphur."

"Where did Astaroth go?" I demanded, taking quick steps forwards with my hands ready in front of my body. "Who are you?"

"My master went to do what he does best," the demon said, the human grin on his face doing nothing to rid the evil. "My name is Aamon. My master has prepared you for me."

"Not that I was aware of," I quipped, now only a few feet away. I could sense Inuyasha behind me, the warmth of his body spreading to mine. "Prepare me for what?"

"Your fortune," Aamon hissed and in seconds everything fell apart. Inuyasha was smashed up against a wall and the sound of his body cracking the drywall practically hurt me. I lunged forward to attack in any way I could to slow him down. _Possession_. Inuyasha's words rang in my head and I responded immediately, the words flowing out of my mouth line by line.

"Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino–"

Aamon's fist connected with my jaw before I could even get out the sentence to exorcise him. I flew backwards, feeling the strength of the demon flow through the human vessel and nearly kill me as I hit the back wall with my head. Black dots lined my vision and I struggled to get up, to do _something_. "Too late," Aamon said in a singsong voice before his left index and middle finger touched my forehead.

And then everything was white.

It was like a billion scattered memories, only I hadn't experienced them firsthand. I could see myself as a child, as a teen, now... I could see myself as an adult fighting demons, working a normal job as a teacher, getting married... I felt darkness and hatred as well as love and truth. My body was paralyzed under the touch, feeling the coldness of the two digits but unable to do anything but _feel_.

Fingers withdrawn, I was slammed back into reality with brutal force. My head ached like bricks had been dumped on top of me and I staggered along the wall to stand. "Fuck...you."

"Oh come now. It wasn't that bad," Aamon said, holding my body with strong arms and practically carrying me to the table Astaroth had been leaning on. He sat me down, holding my upper arms for balance as he tried to search my eyes. "I need you focused Kagome."

"Fuck you," I whispered again, this time a little stronger. The room wasn't spinning anymore and while my head still throbbed like a bitch, it was dulling to the back of my mind. "What do you want?"

"I need for you to listen," the demon whispered in my ear. "Your future is undecided but set into motion. You're surrounded by liars and friends. You need to find a man."

"Mm sounds lovely," I said roughly, looking into red eyes. "You going to kill me?"

"Not unless Master says," Aamon replied, gripping my arms tighter. "Kagome, you need to find a man."

"Aren't you in a human vessel? A male vessel? Hey look, I found a man!" I cheered, although it would've sounded better if I didn't sound so dopey. The hit to my head was doing serious damage to my conscience and the blinding images that flashed before my eyes confused the hell out of me. Nothing was making sense and while the world wasn't spinning, it sure as hell felt like it was.

"Onigumo," Aamon said firmly. "Repeat the name."

I sighed. "Onigumo."

"Good girl," the demon purred, lying me down on the table. "Now, have a good sleep."

Truth be told, this entire day was like I was never awake.

* * *

"Onigumo was the name he gave you?" Inuyasha asked, watching me with a hard stare. We were back in the motel room. How? We weren't quite sure. Inuyasha couldn't remember much past seeing Aamon, the fortune-telling demon. I couldn't remember anything past the name. The only thing we could think of was that Aamon returned us here but even that was a bit of a stretch. Demons didn't care for humans – especially demon slayers. It was all so confusing.

"He made me repeat it," I said, sighing as I held up a bag I took from the car. Inside held what I would consider my nicer clothes for going out to bars and clubs. Tonight I didn't give a shit what Inuyasha told me. I was going out. "The name was definitely Onigumo. Why? Does it ring a bell?"

"No," Inuyasha replied quickly, shaking his head and making his long black hair whip around him. "I've never heard of it before."

"Well then, we'll start looking into that tomorrow. Tonight, we party." I grinned over at the half-demon and threw his duffel bag at him. "Find a good pair of jeans and a shirt that you haven't worn yet."

"Technically it is tomorrow," Inuyasha said, looking displeased at the bag. "We were at the apartment building late last night."

"And we didn't wake up until evening today," I finished, nodding. "Which means that Aamon gave us one hell of a sleeping pill. Now, we've already had a big dinner to make up for the fact we didn't eat breakfast or lunch so we need to burn it off. Therefore, we are going out."

Inuyasha growled. "I don't really like to socialize with humans."

"And yet, here you are," I muttered, waving my arms around and spinning into the bathroom. "Be ready when I'm out."

Inuyasha grunted but I hardly cared. If I was lucky, I could find a guy or something and dance my worries away. What Shikon No Tama? What war between Heaven and Hell's lackeys? I didn't care! I was going to drink and dance and drink.

Jolie Lounge was a very popular place to be in Lowell. As a bar with a dance floor that wasn't enough like a club to _be_ a club, people packed themselves in good and tight. There were two levels to the place; the top floor was the clubbing portion with drinking and dancing while the main level was a bar and restaurant with a small snacking menu and good company.

"No fucking way," Inuyasha hissed, grabbing my wrist and holding me back as I went to open the doors. "I am not going in there. I can hear the music as if the speaker is right in front of me already."

"What?" I asked, wrenching my arm free and glaring. "It's just a little drinking and dancing. It's all in good fun."

"I'm not going to a place where the music is going to deafen me. Can you imagine how _bad_ it's going to be in the morning for me?"

I laughed at that, wondering if Inuyasha had ever even experienced a club before. "Oh come on. It's really not that bad. You'll get used to it after a while."

"That's what I'm afraid of." Inuyasha didn't seem any happier. "You know, the big invisible dog ears that I have? They pick up everything and anything. I will be deaf tomorrow, for sure."

Grabbing Inuyasha's hand and laughing, I dragged him into the club and climbed the stairs to the second floor. "Live with it. If you get drunk enough I bet you won't hear a thing."

"Do you know how much alcohol it takes to get me drunk?"

"A beer?" I grinned. "Aw, poor baby. It's okay. Not everyone is a heavyweight." We were right by the bar now and I placed my hand on the gleaming black countertop, waiting for the bartender to come. The guy caught my eye and gestured for me to wait a minute. "What do you want?" I asked, glancing at Inuyasha. "Anything in particular?"

"Something strong," he muttered.

Instantly I jumped, feeling his hot breath on my cheek and wondering when the hell he got so damn close. "What are you doing?" I asked, leaning backwards slightly and feeling his body right behind mine. "Do you have to be so close?"

"Do you _see_ who is behind me?"

Attempting to peer over his shoulder, I barely caught the sight of a man that literally looked like he crawled out of a trash can. And he was standing not even a foot away from Inuyasha. "Ah," I mumbled, grinning up at the half-demon sheepishly. "I understand your problem."

"Gee, thanks," Inuyasha whispered, rolling his eyes.

His large hands spun me around again and I was suddenly face-to-face with the bartender. Ordering eight shots and an additional drink for Inuyasha, I sighed as the guy left. "Do you dance?"

Inuyasha scoffed. "No."

"No?"

"No."

"Not even once?"

"Not even for a second."

Sighing once more, I watched as the shots lined up before us and I pushed four over to Inuyasha, clinking our glasses. "To our first night out!"

"Whatever wench," Inuyasha said, smirking at me playfully before downing the first shot.

I shook my head slightly to help get rid of the burn while Inuyasha just put down the shot glass as if unimpressed. Our second one went down better, even though Inuyasha was pretty nonchalant about it all. The third and fourth shots were the same and I bounced up and down to the music while Inuyasha started on his drink.

"Are you honestly going to be okay? I like to take a break after four shots, thank you very much," I said, watching as Inuyasha nearly chugged down the first half of the mix.

Inuyasha merely looked amused as he flicked my shoulder. "Trust me. It takes a lot."

"Just...don't spend too much," I sighed.

Inuyasha barked out a laugh. "Okay. I won't spend too much money on something we're not even paying for thanks to your fraud."

I punched him in the shoulder and glared. "Shut up," I said through gritted teeth. "Anyways, I'm going to dance."

Waving slightly, Inuyasha shrugged. "Enjoy."

Oh, I was going to enjoy alright.

I spent a solid two hours dancing, enjoying the music that had a good beat but wasn't strictly dancing music. Rock music was currently blaring from the speakers and there were a group of people at the bar, singing wildly to the lyrics. I had since then had a few small drinks, feeling the buzz start to turn into more of whir. Inuyasha was somewhere...talking to someone... But who really cares? There was a guy dancing with me, his body rocking in sync with mine to the music and everything was fine. I could lose myself in the heavy music and panted breaths of the people around me. Here there were no demons. There were no angels or wars or weird dukes of Hell.

There was music and there was alcohol. Who the fuck really cared about anything else?

Smiling at the guy behind me, I whirled out of his grasp and headed towards the bar. I caught Inuyasha's gaze and winked at him, watching emotions flicker across his face that I couldn't bother to even try to understand. Two shots more and I felt the burn rip through my body, heat my veins as I finally reached the point where I was just out of my mind's control.

And then I heard it. _The_ song of my life.

Slapping my hand down on the bar top, I couldn't help but start singing.

The night was mine and that was all I needed.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha was actually having a decent time. While drinking such a large amount, the few guys around him started to watch. Seven drinks later and Inuyasha was still okay, only feeling the smallest tingling of a buzz in the back of his mind. Really? A total of eight drinks and four shots and he wasn't even close. Kagome however, he could tell that the four shots, plus the two or three drinks she had was all she needed for the night.

"So what brings you here?" one of the guys to his right asked, nodding towards the drinks. "Your girlfriend break up with you?"

"I wish," Inuyasha muttered, glancing at Kagome and watching while she winked at him. At least she was having more than just a good time. The way she moved to the music was almost enticing. He had to purposely ignore the man dancing behind her or risk accidentally killing him. "Accidentally" being the key word.

But she looked good. She looked happy. It was probably the first time in a long while that she had looked that genuinely happy. Granted she was drunk, but there was nothing sexier than–

Fuck.

"That her?" Another guy asked; this one to Inuyasha's left. "I saw you walk in with her earlier."

Inuyasha grunted a response, choosing to down the rest of his drink before catching the eye of the bartender for another. Those previous thoughts? They needed to be gone for good. Alcohol was quickly becoming his best friend. Inuyasha quietly thanked whoever was looking over his life that the bartender was so busy he didn't entirely notice how many drinks he'd had. A human would be catatonic at his stage, especially since everything he ordered was twice the alcohol.

"How much have you had?" the guy on the left asked. Inuyasha decided to call him Dumb, since the guy just had the dopey expression on his face. Maybe it was the alcohol too. Did he look like that?

"I lost count. Twenty shots or so worth?" Inuyasha nodded, thinking this was about right.

The guy on the right almost had a fit. "Wow, that's a lot."

_Thanks genius_, Inuyasha thought, rolling his eyes. He was definitely Dumber.

A couple more shots and Inuyasha was feeling pretty decent. He wasn't _drunk_ but he was definitely a bit tipsy. Where was Kagome? Maybe dancing wouldn't be such a bad idea after all. His hearing was definitely shot long range but if she was right up against him he wouldn't have a problem hearing her. Right?

"Hey, isn't that your girlfriend?" Dumb asked, pointing to Kagome who was...standing...on the bar top. Dear fucking lord.

And she was singing. Really loud.

And everyone (or every single guy that had a brain cell) was watching her.

Even the girls.

Fuck.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, knowing that she was too far away and the music was too loud for her to hear him. Hell, she was probably singing too loud too. "Get the fuck down!" Why was she doing this? Inuyasha frowned as he watched the sway of her hips, distracting him for a moment before he snapped back to vicious reality. "Get _down_!"

It just wasn't working.

"Can you get her down?" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing the bartender's arm and jerking his head towards Kagome. "Fuck, get her down!"

"Man, chill out," the bartender said. "I think you've had enough drinks."

"Fine, whatever," Inuyasha snapped. "Just get her down, please?" The _fucking_ men around were just _staring_ at her. They were watching her like she was some _fucking_ type of entertainment.

Well she was _his_ fucking entertainment so she needed to get the _fuck_ down.

The bartender considered Inuyasha seriously for a moment before turning and watching Kagome. It was clear the second he watched her body move to the altered beat of the rock song that he wasn't going to pull her down any time soon. He shrugged at Inuyasha, grin on his face. "She's not hurting anyone."

"She's dancing on top of the bar."

It was then that Dumber interjected. "But man, she's fucking hot!"

The half-demon was a thread away from ripping his throat out.

"Inuyasha!" And then there she was, running along the counter with a massive smile. Of course she was singing whatever ridiculous song that was playing still, her mouth moving along with the lyrics. "_I hate all of the people that can't drive their cars. Bitch you better get out of the way before I start falling apart._"

"Get down wench or I'm going to drag you down here myself!" Inuyasha yelled, grabbing hold of her ankle. He couldn't figure out any other way to get her without using violence.

"Hey, back off," someone said from behind, grabbing a hold of his arm and halting any action. Inuyasha could've pushed past him in a second but the blurriness the alcohol had provided him had him feeling hesitant. If he pulled Kagome now she'd hurt herself. He could always punch the son of a bitch behind him though.

"Don't worry," Dumb said to the asshole holding onto him. "That's his girlfriend."

"Fucking lucky bastard," whispered Dumber.

"_Well I hate my job, all of my rich friends. I hate everyone until the bitter end. Nothing turns out right, there's no end in sight. I hate my life!_" Kagome whooped as she twirled, kicking Inuyasha's hand free. "_How come I never get laid?_"

"Dude, I think she's trying to tell you something," Dumber stated, tapping Inuyasha's shoulder.

Inuyasha just glared, literally contemplating how fast he could kill the guy before anyone noticed. "Don't touch me." Would it be bad if he jumped up on the counter and grabbed her? Would it be even worse if he jumped through the wall to escape? He could be like Batman or something.

"_I still hate my job. My boss is a dick,_" Kagome sang, pointing to the ceiling while rocking her hips to the music. Oh god, she was actually referring to the Big Man upstairs. That was definitely _not_going to win her any brownie points. "_I don't get paid nearly enough to put up with all of his shit._"

Classy.

"Goddammit Kagome, come here!" Inuyasha yelled. He watched in horror as Kagome sauntered further away from him along the countertop, twirling and dancing while men looked at her with hungry eyes.

_Fucking shit_, he thought. This was not what he needed tonight.

"_So if you're pissed like me, bitches here's what you gotta do: put your middle fingers up in the air. Go on and say 'fuck you'!_" And now, she was doing this little dance where both of her middle fingers were in the air and she was dancing like that, flipping the entire crowd of people off.

Great.

"_I hate my job, all of my rich friends. I hate everyone until the bitter end. Nothing turns out right, there's no end in sight. I hate my life. So much at stake, can't catch a break, I hate my life. No it's nothing new hearing 'sucks to be you' I fucking hate my life._"

This was not going to end well. Inuyasha couldn't suppress the growl clawing its way up his throat as one of the men reached out and grabbed her ass. Hard.

"_FUCK_!" Kagome yelled, frowning at the man that grabbed her butt. She didn't really do much though. It looked like she attempted to kick at his face but only stumbled slightly to the side.

Inuyasha stood out of his chair so fast that it fell to the ground, the clatter on the floor barely heard above the music. It took him all of three seconds to be beside the asshole who touched her, grabbing his throat and throwing him somewhere into the sea of people.

Kagome watched him, amused. "Aw, you came to my rescue!" she cooed, handing the bartender her credit card before jumping off the bar counter and into Inuyasha's arms. "How cute are you?"

"Fuck wench," Inuyasha hissed, taken by surprise when she jumped on him like that. He watched as Kagome signed the slip and grabbed the credit card, tucking it into her bra. "You ready?"

"Ready for action!" she cheered.

Inuyasha couldn't help but roll his eyes.

He knew the moment he turned around that there was going to be trouble. His ears were definitely failing him now. It wasn't until his body spun with Kagome in his arms that he noticed the problem. Well, it wasn't so much of a _problem_ than it was an _inconvenience_. The guy he happened to throw across the room had friends and all of them were staring intently at him, looking none too happy.

"Really?" Inuyasha asked, almost pleading. "I don't have time," he hissed, taking a step forward to make a break between the guys. When they didn't budge, Inuyasha put Kagome down behind him. Okay, so he could've totally run between them since they were about as strong as ladybugs but right now, he wanted nothing more than a fight. Punching the dirty son of a bitch that touched _Kagome_ would be worth whatever consequences he dealt with later.

"I can take them!" Kagome yelled, grinning like an idiot. "I love bar fights. Wanna see me fight like a pro doggy boy?"

"Figures," Inuyasha muttered. Only Kagome would love bar fights. The words barely left his mouth before the asshole himself tried to swing at him, fist slicing the air.

The fight was done in five-point-six seconds. Inuyasha had grabbed the guy's arm before the punch was even close to his body, turning him around and breaking his arm. He threw him against one of the other men, completely taking them both out as they sprawled on the dance floor. Gasps and screams could be heard and Inuyasha was aware of the bartender calling for security. Sighing and punching the final guy out with one hit, Inuyasha picked Kagome up bridle-style before rushing out of there, tapping into his demon side for speed.

It's wasn't like he was worried about being caught by the oh-so-terrifying security but Kagome was a wanted fugitive and he didn't need to hear her complaining every five seconds because he had the cops on their tails again. Finally out of the building, Inuyasha didn't slow down until he was two blocks away. They had taken a cab to the Jolie Lounge but now Inuyasha wasn't in the mood for sitting in a car that smelled worse than anything else he could've imagined. Yeah, they smelled fine to humans, but to him? It was almost painful.

Kagome was smacking his chest now, giggling up at him. "You can put me down Inu_basha_," she said happily, heading falling against his shoulder. "I wanna walk."

"And I wanna _kill_ you," Inuyasha snarled, tightening his hold on her as he walked a little faster. He didn't think she could handle him running at demonic speed with her being drunk and all. With the way his luck was going, she would puke all over him. "Why the hell did you do that? Did you _see_ those fucking prevents watching you?"

"It was fun?" It definitely sounded more like a question than a statement. Inuyasha shook his head, about to say something when Kagome's high-pitched voice filled his ears. "Why do you think demons exist?"

Only able to scoff at how fucking ridiculous the question was, Inuyasha shook his head harder. Leave it up to a drunk Kagome for _this_ conversation. The buzz was still tingling the back of his head, making everything seem a lot more stupid and a lot less worrying. Like right now, he should be avoiding this topic. He should be telling her to shut up and fall asleep because she was drunk and undoubtedly insane. "I don't know. I guess if there are angels then there have to be demons."

"I have a theory as to why you're with me."

Inuyasha almost dropped her, staring at down her with wide golden orbs. No amount of alcohol would stop him from acting this way. Alarm bells were ringing off the fucking hooks. "What?"

Giggling at the jolt of her body when he stumbled, Kagome smiled widely. "You're helping me because you don't want to go to Hell."

Inuyasha let out a breath, rolling his eyes again. "You should stop drinking."

"Seriously!" Kagome yelled, smacking his chest again. "Do you know what Hell is like? All demons go there, no matter what. I've experienced it briefly before and it's...indescribable."

The words seemed to sober Kagome up, which had Inuyasha's mind spinning even more. He had never really thought about where he would end up when he died. He was half-human after all. It was inevitable that he would experience death. Maybe in a few hundred years but eventually–

"The smell is pure sulphur," she whispered, her head leaning against his shoulder heavily. "That's all you can smell. There is screaming everywhere. Torture and mutilation... You experience hell. It's not just a place – it's the way of being there. It is complete suffering and pain and loss and indescribable amounts of regret that- that-"

"What did you want to be?" Inuyasha blurted out, holding her closer to his body. The alcohol in his system suddenly wasn't sitting too well even though he wasn't nearly drunk enough to experience that sort of issue. The topic needed to change immediately. "Before you were forced to be a demon slayer, what did you want to be?"

Kagome seemed to take the change of topic in stride, smiling at him. "Why do you want to know doggy boy?"

"Answer the fucking question, will you?" Inuyasha snapped, glaring his golden eyes down on her.

It seemed like his anger only made her happier because the giggle grew louder as her soft hands tugged on his long hair. "I like it black, you know? Silver is cute but black is hotter."

"Hell, woman."

"Fine, I'll tell you," Kagome whispered, looking up at him sadly. "You really want to know?"

"Please," he muttered. If this sobered her up even a little he'd be grateful.

"I can't do this."

The urgency in her voice surprised the half-demon, momentarily distracting him from how tight she was holding him. "What can't you do?" Inuyasha asked, confused. He made a mental note to never let her get drunk again. She was not only unpredictable and crazy but she was moody as hell. Not like she wasn't like that normally but it seemed to come out stronger when she was drunk.

"You- You can't do this to me!" She was practically shrieking now, grabbing the front of his shirt and jerking him with every tug. "I can't keep trying over and over to keep this together! If you only figured it out and got it through that stupid, thick skull of yours–"

"What the _hell_ are you rambling about?" His patience was wearing thin. Maybe trying to get her to sober up wasn't a good idea after all. "Try and sleep. You know what? Just stop talking."

"See? Don't you get it Inuyasha?" Kagome practically sobbed. "It's like your blind and deaf."

"What the _fuck_ about?" Inuyasha practically snarled, shaking her in his arms. The grip she had on his shirt now was overwhelmingly tight. Did she not understand that he needed to _breathe_? Fucking wench. "Let go, for fuck's sake."

"I love you."

Three words and Inuyasha was quite possibly paralyzed. It wasn't until Kagome's yelp of pain filled his ears that he realized his arms felt considerably lighter. And then her laughter came bubbling up, snapping him back to reality and looking at the demon slayer lying at his feet.

"The _look_ on your face," Kagome said, laughter turning to obnoxious giggles while she rolled around on the ground for a few moments. "See? I always knew that I would make a good actress. That's want I wanted to be – in theatre, entertaining and pretending to be someone else."

But her words were barely registering.

"See if I can make you _believe_ that I love you, then I must be good. I mean, I've given you no hint as of yet that I want to have sex with you."

Maybe he was dreaming. This wasn't actually happening to him.

"Nope, I haven't told you about that yet. I probably won't ever because having sex with you would probably be _great_ but you know... How cliché would it be that the woman working for Heaven falls in love with the man working for Hell? Or, well, you don't really work for them but you belong to them and maybe that's okay and hey, can we get ice cream?"

It was then that everything seemed to click like puzzle pieces. Alcohol be damned, that wasn't what this was. The stupid feeling that was clenching in his stomach; the same _fucking_ feeling he felt when she walked off to see Hobo the soul-sucking demon vessel and the same _fucking_ feeling he felt when he watched her dancing on the _fucking_ bar top.

Shit. This wouldn't do well with his plans. This couldn't be happening.

Picking Kagome up, he all but sprinted to the motel, dumping her on her bed and trying to ignore how easily she started undressing in front of him. _Fuck_. Grabbing her cell phone, Inuyasha took it with him to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. He needed to get Kagome back to reality.

He was pretty sure only Sango and Miroku could help with that.

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	16. Kiss Me Dog Boy

**Hello lovelies.**

**I just want to remind everyone that if you want to know when the next chapter of any of my stories will be posted, it's on my profile. Can't miss it. If it just says "has been updated!", try again in a couple days.**

**Also, I update fast enough, thank you very much. I do have a life to attend to every now and then.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.**

**

* * *

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**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Sixteen: Kiss Me Dog Boy**

* * *

"_Why don't you and I get together? Take on the world and be together forever. Heads we win, tails we'll try again. And I say why don't you and I get together? Fly to the moon and straight on to Heaven, because without they're never going to let me in."_

_-Why Don't You and I, Santana feat. Chad Kroeger

* * *

_

I'm pretty sure that something died in my mouth sometime last night. I'm not entirely sure _what_ died but fuck it was brutal. That matched with the headache rocketing my skull is a lethal combination made to personally force me to suffer. Forever.

And then the worst possible thing occurred: my cell phone rang. Conveniently it was in arms reach on my nightstand but the shrill sound of the ringtone was enough to force a shudder down my body. Why the hell wasn't my cell phone on vibrate? It was always on vibrate. _Ugh_.

"Hello?" I said, sounding worse than I thought was possible. It sounded like a combination of a deathly throat illness and screaming mercilessly for twenty-four hours straight. All of that mixed together to make the worst sound imaginable: my voice.

"Are you okay?" Sango asked and I automatically groaned.

"You would call me this early in the morning."

"It's two in the afternoon."

Looking around, I saw the lining of white light peeking from around the blackening curtain. I glanced over at the second bed beside mine and noticed that my half-demon companion was missing. "Oh. Well then," I murmured, slowly tilting my head around. "What's been going on?"

"You promised to come back after a week," Sango said sternly from the other end. "And it's been exactly two weeks."

"I got caught up in a bunch of cases," I replied, trying to ignore the thoughts of Hojo, the angel Midoriko and the duke of Hell Astaroth with his psychotic fortune telling assistant Aamon. Oh, here comes the massive migraine. Yay for hangovers.

"Apparently. Look, come on down now. I promise we'll be good," Sango said. For the first time in a while, I heard a softness that wasn't normally there. "We'll give Inuyasha a fair chance and I swear we won't say anything bad about him."

"Really?" I barely believed it. They never went a couple days without saying something bad about me. Of course, as best friends I guess it came with the territory.

"Really. Where are you?"

"Lowell, Massachusetts," I sighed, propping myself to sit up slowly. Oh god. Lay back down. Lay back down. Don't vomit. Breathe. Breathe. Oh god. Ugh. Bad idea. Very bad idea. "We'll, uh, be there around sixty-thirty if we leave in an hour."

"Then I'll have dinner all ready for you," Sango replied and I could hear the smile in her voice. "On me."

"As long as it's not on me," I grumbled. "Thanks Sango."

"Don't thank me yet. Miroku's cooking since our regular chef is sick," Sango laughed.

Smiling despite my current situation, I said goodbye and hung up the phone. Lying in bed, I blissfully took in the silence of the room. The pounding in my head was bad enough but the thought of driving three hours and a bit to get all the way to Mercer? Not exactly the thing I wanted to do.

I should get up. And drink a shitload of water. And eat Tylenol for breakfast. Actually, just eat Tylenol all day.

Getting up as slowly as I could, I sat down on the bed for a moment to gather my head. The room was spinning uncomfortably and I tried to not think about how much I drank last night... What did I even do? I recall all of the drinking and dancing... Oh! I danced on top of the bar and sang. That's wicked. And then Inuyasha got into a bit of a fight and then he walked us home...

Oh my god. I totally made him think that I loved him. Ah ha. Genius. Pure genius.

Then again, how dearly would I suffer for it?

The click of the door startled me out of my thoughts, making me look towards the small entrance as Inuyasha stepped in, a plastic bag in hand. He didn't look angry as he sauntered in, looking me up and down before turning to the small table.

"I got us some food. I stole your wallet. I used up the rest of the money."

Awesome. Never mind "how are you feeling" or "how did you sleep". Never mind "do you need help" or "can I get you something". Nope, I get how poor we are. Well thank you Inuyasha.

"We'll make some more at Sango's. She typically hires me temporarily when I visit for the extra cash." I sighed and attempted to stand, pushing through the haze of my hangover so I could walk to the bathroom. I didn't feel good at all but I figured after I gulped down more water and ate a couple Tylenol I would feel better. "When did you get up?"

He shrugged, still not looking at me while he unwrapped some sort of greasy looking food. That was definitely the best thing to have for a hangover. Not. "Around noon I think. I was hungry. Went around looking for anything fun to do."

"Anything catch your attention?" I called from the bathroom, finally looking at myself in the mirror. Oh. My. God. I looked like I just crawled out of the grave – literally clawed my way out. My face was ashen, eyes weary and bloodshot. I really needed a shower. I started running the water in the tub, waiting for it to warm while I quickly brushed my teeth. I hadn't even noticed that Inuyasha hadn't answered me until I was completely drenched under the hot spray, ridding myself of the previous night. Maybe he was really pissed about the whole I-love-you thing but I was totally joking and very drunk. He couldn't be _that_ stupid to not notice my tendency to slur.

I didn't bother to dry my hair, just threw it up in a wet bun before getting dressed and walking back into the bedroom. Inuyasha was sitting on his bed, watching television with a frown on his face. I vaguely knew the show he was watching, forgetting the name of it. I soon remembered the moment the two characters jumped into bed with each other and started to...well you know. I was about to laugh at Inuyasha when I noticed his face – confused and shocked. Well, I know sex scenes can bring a lot out of people but confusion and disbelief are generally not the typical reactions.

"Did you never learn about the birds and the bees?" I asked lightly, watching his face in the dimly lit room.

Inuyasha looked up at me, intense amber eyes focusing for a moment before he quickly looked away and turned the television off. "Fuck off wench. What are we doing today?"

His choice of words didn't exactly hurt me but I shifted uncomfortably, something I rarely did. Was he actually angry? "Uh, well Sango called. You know how we were supposed to go back after a week? We're kind of long past the due date."

"Fine, let's go then," Inuyasha huffed, still refusing to meet my eyes as he tossed a couple more things in his duffel and stood up.

I watched unmoving, hiding the frown that desperately wanted to be shown on my face. This was a strange reaction from my half-demon companion. Did I momentarily blackout and forget something? Did I do something wrong? "Inuyasha?" I asked in barely a whisper, moving closer to his bed, closer to him. "Are you okay?"

"Peachy," he muttered, glancing at me briefly before rolling his eyes. "Yes, I'm fine. Now pack your shit up so we can go."

"Did I...say or do something last night to make you pissed off with me?" It felt like I was walking on eggshells and dammit I hated that. The sooner this was out in the open the better I would feel about the whole mess. When he still didn't answer me, I sighed loudly. "Inuyasha, tell me right now."

"_You_ didn't do anything," he hissed, turning sharply to stare at me. "Nothing. Now stop babbling and let's get moving. Your breakfast is on the table so don't forget it."

Oh good. That made me feel so much better. Not.

Watching him leave, I headed towards my duffel bag and swallowed some Tylenol, gulping the water from the bottle like it was the best thing I had ever tasted. Gathering up the rest of my stuff, I took one last look around the room before heading towards my car, seeing a grumpy Inuyasha leaning against the passenger side. "How are you feeling?" I asked quietly, throwing our bags in the trunk and getting in the driver's seat. "Did you have a lot to drink last night?"

Inuyasha shrugged, smirking. "Did you?"

"Clearly," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "I feel like shit. I did not want to make this drive today but at least Sango is cooking us dinner."

The half-demon nodded, black hair bouncing as his amber eyes looked out the window. "Are we going to stay there for long?"

"Probably a day or two, if you want," I responded. "I guess it depends on how well you'll all get along this time."

Inuyasha scoffed but said nothing more, resigning himself to watching the scenery fly by outside the passenger window. I had a feeling that this was going to be a very awkward and very trying drive.

* * *

After about an hour of driving the speed limit, I decided to give up and start speeding. While my headache was receding in the quiet of the car, Inuyasha's odd stares and unnerving movements were starting to get to me.

Boomerang's finally appeared through the dust of the gravel road, standing out like a sore thumb with cars, lights and obnoxious demon slayers sauntering about.

"Shit," I murmured, looking at Inuyasha with wide eyes. "Shit."

Inuyasha didn't look too pleased either. It was Sunday evening but Boomerang's was always full of demon slayers – no matter what day or what time. "How many would be too drunk to notice my eye colour?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair and swearing again. "None." Parking the car near the back, I was just sliding into the space when dark figures surrounded the car. I couldn't move without running a couple of them over.

I was starting to consider it.

"Who the fuck are these idiots?" Inuyasha grumbled, staring at me. There it was again: those stupid golden eyes.

"Really good demon slayers," I said in a hush even though they couldn't hear me. "Lay back and pretend to be asleep."

Inuyasha looked disbelieving but did it anyways, letting his head loll on the seat.

Dammit. This was not how I wanted to start the evening. It was funny how often I thought that. It was obviously the universe plotting against me yet again. Rolling down my window, I leaned out so they wouldn't have to peer inside. "Hey guys," I called, plastering on a fake smile. This is where my super acting skills came in. "Long time no see!"

"Yeah because you're always off killing demons," a male voice replied, laughing. "You coming in for drinks? I'll buy you whatever you want, on me."

I laughed in return but shook my head, ignoring the painful lurch of my stomach from the thought of more alcohol. "No thanks Bankotsu. I promised Sango I'd work tonight."

"Whatever, your loss," Bankotsu said, coming forward and peeking into the car. He did this on a regular basis, to see if the brand new Corvette looked any more ruined than the last time he had seen it. Then he'd make a stupid comment about how I should give it to him in trade for his craptastic Ford. Yeah. No thanks.

But seriously, _goddammit_! Why are men so nosy when it comes to cars? There is no need to bother me about it because clearly I'm not going to trade! Not only that but I'm trying to hide a half-demon in here.

"Who's your pet?" Bankotsu asked, raising a brow at me.

"Ooh, she has a pet?" another man cooed, instantly telling me that Jakotsu was here too. Great. Fucking great.

"He's sleeping so shut up," I hissed, glaring pointedly at Jakotsu. "We met on the last case I was on in Massachusetts. His ride broke down to shit so I told him I could hook him up with something here."

"Can you wake him please?" Jakotsu asked, fighting against me to see Inuyasha better. "He looks delicious."

"Thanks for that," I muttered, pushing him away. "And no, you'll meet him inside. Now you're wasting my gas guys. Shoo! I'll see you at the bar."

I watched as they started to walk away, seven dark shadows heading back towards Boomerang's doors. Sighing in relief, I looked over at Inuyasha and punched him in the shoulder, smiling. "You can wake up now. They're gone."

"Fucking better be," Inuyasha grumbled, opening one eyes before slowly rubbing them both. "Who the hell are they?"

"They call themselves the Band of Seven," I replied, parking the car and shutting it off. "They work together to slay as many demons as possible. Apparently they've only got fifty or so demons left to kill." I shrugged, remembering the one time I actually worked a case with them. "They're good, considering how little time they've been slaying for."

We were silent for a moment, the car quiet without the hum of the engine and the sound of the air conditioner. I was trying to think of the best way to go in. I could go in alone and talk to Sango, but with all the slayers that I knew, it would be hard to do it quickly. We could go in the back but we'd have to pass everyone in the parking lot... "Alright, let's go," I said suddenly, opening in the car and popping the trunk. "Let's grab our bags and be quick about all of this."

"How are we even getting in?" Inuyasha got out of the car and watched me with unnerving eyes. He seemed oddly comfortable for a guy whose life was in imminent danger and impending doom. He came over to the trunk, standing so close behind me that I wasn't sure where to move.

"Uh, we're, uh, going through the back." I cleared my throat and looking at him pointedly.

He didn't seem to get it. "What?"

"Personal space?"

Rolling his eyes he took a step back. "And you said you wanted to have sex."

"WHAT?" I whipped my head around so fast that my hair actually stung the skin on my face. I blinked a few times with my mouth most likely wide open. "_What_ did you just say?" I think I'm choking. Or dying. Possibly choking to death.

Inuyasha shrugged. "I don't know. I'm not even sure what you're saying. I'm more lip reading than anything else. My hearing is shot to shit. What are we talking about?"

I blinked again, still dumbstruck. "What?"

"With the number of times you've said that, anyone would think that it's you and not me who's deaf," Inuyasha muttered. "I told you that the club or bar or _whatever_ was going to destroy my hearing capabilities. Look, can we just go and hide now? How the hell are we even going to survive a night here without me being found out?"

"Uh." I really needed to think about priorities here. The sex comment? While I wanted to figure that out now, I _really_ didn't want to figure that out now. I don't recall saying that... Did I say that? Did he figure it out? Am I obvious in my desperate need to get laid? Apparently.

Wait. Focus.

"Uh, contacts. I think Miroku and Sango have contacts somewhere in the house. Some of them must be coloured." I nodded to that logic. It seemed mostly right. I tossed him his bag, took my own and then locked the car. "I know it's getting dark out but you can still register gold eye colour. Just keep your head down and follow my footsteps."

"Why the fuck do Miroku and Sango have colour contacts? And hair dye? And fake IDs and all of the other crazy shit they have?" Inuyasha looked at me briefly before looking back down at the ground.

I sighed, feeling like I had explained this last time. "A lot of demon slayers come by here. Considering our illegal lifestyle, most of us have to change identities after a while. Sometimes that takes more than just a name switch on a driver's license. Sango is proficient at cutting hair and Miroku can do virtually anything digital. Colour contacts helps to hide one's identity, like changing the colour of your hair."

"It's fucking crazy," Inuyasha replied, still grumbling.

We walked the rest of the way in silence, making our way to the back door without so much as a second glance from passerby. There was an electronic lock on the door but I knew the password and plugged it in quickly. We snuck into the back and I let out a sigh of relief, thankful that we weren't caught. "Come on," I urged, tugging his wrist and dragging him behind me. "I don't know if there are any slayers staying over. We might not be in the clear."

"Because that's our life in a nutshell," Inuyasha stated, smirking.

I grinned over my shoulder at him. "Shut up."

We made our way to my special room, the bedroom that was reserved for only me. I knew that no one else would be in it. Opening the door, I pushed my way in and slung the duffel bag on the floor. "You can put your stuff- _Oh my god_."

"Wha- Kagome?" Sango exclaimed, her voice a mere squeak. Sango rolled quickly, off of the body beneath her and onto the floor. A loud thud filled the room and then suddenly, silence.

"You might want to have them remake the bed," Inuyasha suggested, shrugging.

"We were, uh, just doing that," Sango said, standing up super straight and slapping the body that was still blinking up at the ceiling groggily. "Miroku," she hissed, "get up."

"I'm sorry. Weren't we about to have sex?" Miroku asked, looking at Sango intently before looking at Kagome. "Oh. Hi."

"Yeah," I said slowly, trying to register it all. "Hi." I looked between the two of them for a moment longer, finally understanding that yes, Sango was on top of Miroku doing god-knows-what and yes, Miroku implied that they were about to have sex. On my bed. Ah.

"Hi Inuyasha," Sango said to break the silence, giving a tight smile that I knew was because of the situation and not because he was a half-demon that they didn't like.

"You two were going to have sex?" I was going to say it with a bit more tact but that didn't seem to work out too well. "Really?"

"Well until you burst in here and ruined the mood," Miroku said, grinning like an idiot and standing up. He made his way over to me and hugged me tightly. "It's okay, don't feel bad. We'll get several more chances tonight."

Ahhh. Not what I wanted to hear. "As happy as I am that you two are both out of some serious denial – _my bed_? Really?"

Sango turned red but Miroku only laughed. "We were just changing your sheets to clean ones before you got here. And then Sango just jumped me out of nowhere, I swear!"

A loud smack shut him up but I just shook my head. It was pretty hard to stay mad at them when they acted so ridiculous and so sappy at the same time. "Whatever. Sango, do you have any colour contacts? Inuyasha can't exactly go out into the bar looking like he does."

Sango's red face slowly faded back to its normal colour as she nodded. "I'll just go check, be right back. Miroku, can you check on the front? I don't want anyone getting crazy on a Sunday night. That's the least of my worries right now."

Miroku said he would, patting Inuyasha on the back before hugging me and leaving. It seemed...so normal. This was never a good thing. Something was definitely up. I tossed my bags on my bed, telling Inuyasha to leave his stuff beside it until Miroku gave him his own room. Sango came in moments later, before I even had time to ask Inuyasha what he thought about them. Had he talked to them secretly behind my back or something? I figured when Sango said they'd be nice to him, they would just be _polite_. I wasn't actually expecting them to treat him like _me_. Not that it was a bad thing.

"Here you go," Sango said. "I figured brown would work the best because it'll make his eyes a honeyed colour, which is unusual but not demonic."

"Gold isn't even demonic," I muttered, taking the box and opening it. "Inuyasha's just a pain in the ass."

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha took the contents from me. "Wench."

"Do you even know what to do? Don't you have claws? Isn't it going to _hurt_ to put them in your eyes?" I yelled, because at this point he had slammed the bathroom door shut in my face.

"I can do it myself," Inuyasha snarled from the other end. "I don't need you to mother me."

"I'm not mothering you!"

"You're right, you're bitching at me. And now, you're hurting my ears with that screech you call a voice."

"Bite me dog boy."

"Only if you don't shut it, wench."

I turned around to face Sango, whose eyebrow was raised in question. "Well, you two get along well."

"It's a love-hate relationship," I mumbled, giving her a smile. "But I trust him. He...saved me a few times now."

Sango's dark eyes softened a little, the curve of her full lips tilting upwards. "I believe you and we'll give him a chance. That doesn't mean the moment he hurts you I won't castrate him."

"I never expected you to do otherwise," I grinned.

Stripping out of my clothes, I changed into something a lot more comfortable and a lot more suited to Boomerang's bar. I told Sango that I would work behind the bar with her and Kirara, a co-worker that usually helped keep Boomerang's running. After telling Inuyasha to meet me downstairs, I smiled and locked arms with Sango to the front.

The bar was in full swing. People were swaying on the floor to the music cranking out the speakers. Men and women huddled around the bar for a drink and a refill, buying others shots and getting tipsy. It was a typical night for Boomerang's, even though it was the end of the weekend. Demon slayers didn't work the usual Monday through Friday nine-to-five hours.

"Kagome!" The familiar voice of a short blonde filled my ears and I turned to see Kirara, pouring shots over and over again to make four different drinks at once. "Have you come to save me?"

"Don't I always?" I asked, patting her shoulder gently. I moved into the repetitive routine of taking drink orders and filling them out. I knew a lot of the men and women that were there so conversation was never stilted and never slow. We talked about the latest cases and the dumbest demons, trying to one-up each other and piss the others off. It was the usual banter of demon slayers and while I was enjoying myself, I kept sneaking glances to the kitchen door to see if Inuyasha would appear.

"If you don't mind," Miroku's deep voice said from behind me, startling me a bit. "I'm going to put Inuyasha to work."

I frowned at him, seeing the mischievous look in his eye. "What the hell are you going to make him do? Not only that, but how the hell did you get him to do it?"

Miroku laughed and shook out his short black hair that was tied back at his nape. "It's a guy thing. Inuyasha!"

Before I had a second to prepare myself for whatever may appear, Inuyasha stepped out wearing a tight black t-shirt, dark baggy jeans and...sunglasses? "No way," I groaned, finally getting Miroku's look. "A bouncer?"

"We always get one or two rowdy ones," he said, laughter in his voice. "Especially with the Band of Seven here. His...special...skills will help us to maintain that crowd."

"You're insane," I quipped, watching as Inuyasha came closer to me. I kind of wished he wouldn't because the tight shirt was _pretty damn_ tight and I really didn't need a reminder of the really hot muscles he had under there and shit, he's _really hot_.

And I need to get laid.

Still.

I tried to ignore my half-demon companion as he stood by the side of the bar, watching the crowd with disinterested eyes. I tried extra hard not to throw glass shards at the women that were sidling up to him and flirting. If I couldn't get laid then he sure as hell couldn't either.

That's why I was so angry.

The only reason.

I swear.

"There you are," Bankotsu said, grinning at me as he approached the bar.

I smiled at him and took the empty glass from his hands. "What do you want?"

"Ah, a rum and coke. How's hunting?" he asked, tilting his head to look at me. "You look great by the way."

I ignored the compliment that came my way because I knew Bankotsu better than he thought I did and I knew his womanly habits. Although...given my current desperation that may not be a bad thing. "Hunting is the usual. I deal with the same bullshit and the same crap over and over again."

"Did you hear about what happened in Nevada? Near Reno, I think?" Bankotsu leaned further over the bar, as if to tell me a secret. "A shit-storm happened there apparently."

Oh god. This was not what I needed: another reminder of the fucking incident. "Yeah I heard about it. It must've been a bad situation." I ended the sentence on a pretty cold note, hoping he would drop it.

Bankotsu stared at me a moment longer before nodding. "I guess so. So how long are you here for?"

"A couple days," I responded, shrugging. I didn't really know the answer myself. "Are you heading out tomorrow?"

"Yeah, me and the boys rented rooms for the night here," he replied, smiling. "You could come and join me later. It'll take your mind off that kid you had to deal with bringing here. Where the hell is he anyways?" Bankotsu looked around the room, his eyes passing Inuyasha without any recognition.

I silently thanked whoever it was watching over me and sighed, thinking of Bankotsu's offer. It's not the first time he offered and it wouldn't be the first time that I agreed either. Regardless, I was usually piss drunk and not feeling very good the next day.

"Who the _fuck_ do you think you are?"

My head snapped up to see a couple of men pushing each other around, edging closer to a violent argument. I watched as Miroku, Inuyasha and two other men stepped forward, trying to talk to them. Miroku was the first to arrive, holding out his hands and being calm. It seemed to be working until the second guy opened his mouth.

It happened so fast you could barely see but a bottle was broken, glass shards spitting everywhere and then they were going at it. I watched as Inuyasha stepped in the way, breaking the one guy's nose while grabbing the wrist of the guy with the bottle and tossing him on a table. Miroku and the other men had the other guys separated, pushing them out the doors.

"That could've been bad," Bankotsu said, turning back around to look at me. "But anyways, I was saying–"

The moment I saw the guy on the table stand up I knew what was going to occur. It wasn't like a vision or anything mystical – I just knew my shit luck was unfailing in matters like these. "Inuyasha!" I screamed, watching him turn as the broken bottle slashed down his left side, tearing the shirt open by his collar bone.

I was flying suddenly, leaping over the bar and landing amongst a sea of drunken people. I pushed through two of them before taking off again, throwing myself at Inuyasha with my hands in his hair. We fell to the ground, me on top of him and I could hear the gasps of some members in the bar.

Shit.

"Kiss me dog boy," I hissed, leaning down and locking lips with him. With my eyes closed, I couldn't really tell what he was thinking or doing. He was stiff for a moment, hands on my hips to either push me away or hold me closer.

In a second, everything changed. He relaxed underneath me, his hands gripping me tight as he parted his lips. This was probably the _best_ fucking kiss ever, much to my misfortune, and I continued it with no heed to the others around me. I really didn't need to go all out but before I could think properly, my tongue danced across his lips, pushing inside to taste every inch of him. I could feel the sharpness of his teeth across my tongue and the heat of his mouth pressed against mine.

I needed to pull away. He probably didn't even realize.

"I can see your _ears_," I hissed, mouthing at his jaw before kissing him again.

While this was surely for pretend and the _only_ reason I was doing this was because all hell would break loose if people found out he was part demon, I couldn't help but not enjoy it. Or make a show of it. And I'd be damned if I didn't take my sweet time.

"Fuck." The words were like a sharp sting to my skin, his breath against my lips before he kissed me again and jostled me backwards, pushing up with muscles I _really_ didn't want to consider. There was no point in making the guy hotter than he already was. Then we were standing up, making out as he veered left and right through the bar. "I need to see," he hissed.

"Stop moving your ears! I can't hide them!" I snapped right back. I started kissing his neck, letting him see for a moment before kissing him again. I could hear catcalls and cheers and I don't know what else because I wasn't paying any attention. I bit his lower lip, drawing it into my mouth and sucking before letting it go.

I felt pain along my back when he smacked into something, and then more pain in my shoulder as we hit something else. Soon though, I could feel doors opening against me and the sounds of the kitchen filling my ears.

I kissed him still, lingering and tasting and exploring every part of him, reeling when he pressed right back, urgency clear as I was pressed against the wall.

"Shit," I mumbled, breathing deeply and looking into foreign brown eyes. You could tell that they were contacts but the colour helped hide the real hue underneath. I watched him, feeling the moment slip away and then being smacked forcefully again by reality.

Double shit.

The furry appendages were still in my hands, twitching uncontrollably. I looked around to make sure that no one was paying any attention before letting them go, feeling the slip of his hands from under my thighs as he dropped me to the floor.

"Hurry," I whispered, dragging him by the wrist. "We need to find a goddamn way to stop the appearance of your ears whenever someone decides to slash your heart out. How did you not know?" I demanded, wanting to stop abruptly and look at him. "How did you not realize?"

"I was taking the guy down!" Inuyasha exclaimed, glaring. "I'm sorry that I didn't really pay attention to the minor _scratch_."

"Well that minor _scratch_ shows off your fuzzy little ears in a bar full of _demon slayers_." Ugh. My life in a nutshell was a shit-storm of crap on a pile of, well, shit. "Thank god I'm fast."

Inuyasha made a face, pushing at me roughly to move towards the back room. "_Thank god I'm fast_," he mocked, crossing his eyes. "You're a pain in the ass."

"Yeah, well screw you dog boy," I shot back, grumbling. The stupid dick. "I was making good money too." And being offered a chance to rid my sad lack of sex. Of course, something had to happen.

Of course it did. Is everyone happy now?

"You wish you could screw me," Inuyasha mumbled, pushing me again. "You told me yourself."

"I did WHAT?" I yelled, probably a bit too frantically as I turned around. "I did _not_–" See? I didn't want to have this conversation now. Didn't I tell him that before? _This_ was so not the time to talk about matters of sex and kissing when he was looking like _this_ and had just kissed me like _that_.

Inuyasha smirked. "You were smashed and I dropped you and you were pretending to be an actress, remember?"

Yeah. I remember. That was hilarious. Still, can we end this conversation yet?

"And then you told me that you were such a good actress that you hadn't let me know about the whole wanting-to-sleep-with-me thing. It was pretty well done."

Ah. I don't remember that. "I did not." Denial was always the best policy, especially in this situation.

"You did so," Inuyasha argued, pushing me again and I stumbled backwards, trying to hold my footing. "Now hurry the hell up so no one sees me."

I watched him, wide-eyed as he finally decided I was a lost cause and moved past me. He kept walking as he reached the door, his white ears twitching and an astounding contrast to the long black hair flowing down.

And that shirt was still really tight and those muscles were still really impressive.

And I'm fucked.

Royally.

...If only it could be literally, then we would all feel better.

* * *

**Ah the love.**

**I appreciate any feedback and critique you wish to share with me! Or comments and like :)**


	17. Payback's a Bitch

**Hello readers! I'm back from vacation. And I have a shitload to say.**

**#1: I'm behind. Not only for posting this chapter (you can blame my wonderful boyfriend again) but everything else. I came back with over 100 emails in my inbox from FanFiction _alone_. Whoa. So, I'm overdue to respond to a lot of you. If I haven't, I'm sorry. Ask me again to remind me or something like that. I never mean to forget, I just do.**

**#2: I have a poll. Yay. Thank you to the many that have voted. I just want to make reassurances that ALL stories will be posted eventually and I'm using this more for heavy consideration of what to focus on. I'm still writing them all, it's juts an inspiration thing. It will be active until the 08/16/10, when I will post the results.**

**#3: During vacation I had no laptop, which meant no writing. To not go insane, I brought a notebook. Let me tell you, I wrote pages and pages and pages...for a brand new story...that's not mentioned on my profile...that no one knows about...FML. I wish story ideas just stopped RANDOMLY POPPING IN MY HEAD. Gah. GO AWAY MUSE!**

**#4: Jenn- I'm a douche for taking so long. You should've smacked me or something. Anyways, _How To Kill Me_ was originally created long before I ever knew the show Supernatural existed. However, the storyline was a bit different. Kagome had like a double life, getting visions of demons to kill, Inuyasha was one of them, blah blah blah. Long story short, it had way too many implausible holes and things I just couldn't smooth out. I scraped the idea until I saw Supernatural which helped to fill some blanks. This story goes to a whole different direction though, and the turn will be sharper in the future. The part about some of the demons and Enochian? I knew most of it before. The show obviously helped but a lot of it was my own research.**

**Nepenthec - Again, you should smack me for not answering. Kouga will definitely be making an appearance. And Ayame. I won't ruin the fun but I'm excited for their part in the story. They will most definitely make an awesome, ass-kicking, sexually-frustrating appearance. Yay.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Seventeen: Payback's a Bitch**

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"_And I wonder how everything is going down there in Heaven. There's nothing I can see hanging over me. And I wonder if angels aren't looking up at us from Heaven. 'Cause I've never been, no I've never been so high."_

_-Down in Heaven, Kalan Porter

* * *

_

"Wake up wench."

_Five more minutes_. "Go away," I mumbled, pushing my head further into the pillow. We were relaxing, couldn't I sleep in? For once? Just _once_? "Go away."

I could practically hear Inuyasha's eyes roll, a warm hand touching my bare shoulder. Hey, why wasn't I wearing clothes?

"But we've got so much to do." The words were like hot tendrils caressing my skin, his breath puffing against my neck. A shiver ran down my spine, eating away at the cold until I was burning up with a feeling so familiar and yet so foreign.

Why was this starting to feel anything but platonic? "Uh, Inuyasha?" I was suddenly wide awake. I wonder why.

Sharp teeth ran like pricks across the back of my neck, wet kisses following as his body shifted on the mattress. I could feel the weight of him on my legs, his chest pressed up against my back as I lay helpless on my stomach. His clawed hands were tracing random patterns into the pale skin of my arms, sneaking lower and lower. The blankets were suddenly gone and cold air settled on my skin, evaporating the moment he touched me there. It was terrifying.

It was fucking intoxicating.

"What are you doing?" I whispered, unable to bite back the small moan as his hands traced every inch of my body. This had to stop.

"Doing all the things I know you want to do," he whispered huskily in my ear, his voice a throaty murmur that was more than just a little shocking. "Mm, Kagome."

Oh fuck.

His hands gripped my shoulders, flipping me over onto my back so I was facing him. The contacts were removed, leaving his golden eyes staring straight into mine. They were smouldering, intense, something I couldn't quite place like I never have been able to.

And his lips. Suddenly they were on mine, crashing, nipping, teasing every bit of sense out of me. The whole this-needs-to-stop thing? It's not occurring any time soon.

_Breathe_.

It was nearly impossible to stop but the burning in my lungs had me pulling back, feeling his lips move down lower to my neck. My hands sought out his long hair, tugging the long black strands until he was on top of me, holding me down to the bed. He was heavy, his skin was like fire and nothing felt better.

"Inuyasha," I breathed, panted, whispered. My hands let go of his hair, scratching down his back and tracing circles at his hips.

A low moan escaped his throat, deep and husky. "Wake up wench."

...

What?

"Wake up wench."

No fucking way. That was a dream? Ugh, _please_ give me five more minutes now. "Go away," I mumbled, squirming deeper under the covers. "Go away."

"But we've got so much to do." Didn't I hear this before? There was a hand on my shoulder, the warmth seeping through the cotton of my oversized t-shirt. "Hurry the fuck up," he complained, shaking me. "Sango and Miroku are having breakfast downstairs."

Well, that definitely didn't happen last time.

Opening my eyes a crack, I saw Inuyasha's long black hair draping around my head, his intense amber eyes watching me. "What do you want?" I grumbled, sounding like someone waking up after forty years of unconsciousness.

"Food wench," Inuyasha stated, shaking my shoulders again. "Wake _up_."

"You're acting like a five year-old on Christmas," I said, opening my eyes a little bit more. "What time is it?"

"Ten in the morning I think?" Inuyasha shrugged, retrieving his hand and placing it back down on the mattress. "And like I said, I'm hungry."

"Then go friggen eat you friggen dummy," I mumbled, burying my head back into the pillow. "I want five minutes more in bed." And hey, why don't you stay and make the whole dream real and we won't go down for another hour or so? Sound good? Yeah?

"You suck."

Well clearly not since _you're _not undressed and I'm facing the wrong way, idiot.

Fucking mornings. This is why I shouldn't be around people in the morning. I needed coffee and a hot shower to wake me up. I opened my eyes a crack to see Inuyasha still glowering at me from his sitting position on my mattress. "What do you _want_?" I was practically wailing now.

"I need for you to get up! Come on wench, get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up. Get up."

"I'm going to fucking shoot you."

"Get up. Get up. Get up. Get–"

The clenched fist of my right hand made contact with his face pretty efficiently and I practically growled as I watched him fall off the bed, taking my covers with him. What a stupid loser. Why the hell can't I get any sleep, huh? And when I finally have nice dreams (and yeah, sex dreams) I _have_ to suddenly be awake. Because all hell would break loose if I could finally have a moment of at least subconscious sexual satisfaction.

Ugh.

Kicking at the few remaining sheets that were wrapped around my feet, I crawled out of bed and stomped into the bathroom, cursing the half-demon every second of the way. I could hear him chuckling behind me and I almost ran back and punched him in the face again.

Who the hell chuckles in the morning anyways? He's not a fucking pig bent on taking over the world or anything. So shut it.

And to think that last night had been so normal. After the incident where Inuyasha's ears made an unwelcome appearance, we found a hat to throw on his head and went back down to the bar. Sango had been looking at me strangely, noticing right away that something was wrong and calling Miroku to come meet us. I explained the situation and told them that it would be better if we spent the night watching movies in my room rather than risk a full on demon hunt bonanza.

After things settled in the bar, Sango and Miroku brought out trays of food – the dinner that we were promised – and the four of us ate happily while watching _The Cave_ on a movie channel. What an amazing but horribly written/directed/edited movie. Just epic. When Boomerang's was closed, the four of us snuck back into the front and helped Kirara to clean up and prepare for the next day. I was even lucky enough to not see Bankotsu, who was apparently shit-faced and passed out in his room. I thanked the universe for the small things.

Now it was morning and I just wanted everyone to leave me alone, at least until I had coffee in me or something. It had been a late night and I was tired and this was supposed to be like a _vacation_. Washing my face, I finished up my routine in the bathroom before coming out, feeling a bit more human. Inuyasha was out of my room but I had a feeling that he was just outside the door waiting for me. With a small smile I changed and walked out, unsurprised to see my half-demon waiting for me with a smirk.

"Are you going to play nice now, wench?" Inuyasha asked. "You're really cranky in the morning I've noticed."

"Why thank you," I replied, unable to be frustrated any longer. I should just stop complaining and roll with the punches, as they say. "Are Miroku and Sango in the kitchen?"

Inuyasha just nodded, letting me lead the way as she walked further into the house.

Going towards the kitchen was like déjà vu. Inuyasha was walking beside me, his eyes trained ahead. Last time when we entered the kitchen, Sango and Miroku abruptly stopped talking. I didn't have to be a genius to know that it was about me.

Now as we made our way into the spacious room, Miroku was laughing and Sango was glaring at him with a spatula raised threateningly. It was scarily similar to moments I spend with them when I first met the pair.

"Hey guys," I called, giving a short wave before looking at Inuyasha. "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Have something light," Sango said, barely glancing at us. "We're going to spar later."

Grinning, I popped bread in the toaster, assuming that Inuyasha wouldn't complain about my lack of pancake, bacon and waffle making. "You really want to spar with us?"

Miroku nodded. "Me and Sango against you and Inuyasha."

Inuyasha snorted, making his first sound since we got into the kitchen. "You really think you'll beat us?"

"Don't be cocky," I muttered, glancing at him. "I'd put money down on our demise."

"Hello? Half-demon here? Super strength? Super speed?"

"Super good looks?" Sango added, laughing. "Ah Inuyasha, you have much to learn."

The half-demon frowned but said nothing more as the conversation moved on. I talked about our latest cases – excluding some o the more major crises and my angel experience. I didn't need them freaking out about something I barely comprehended myself.

The gist of what I understand is that the minions of Heaven and Hell are going to create a war. The jewel – the Shikon No Tama – is the root problem. I need to look for an Onigumo; why, I don't know. I have an angel on my one shoulder and a duke of Hell on the other.

Really, I have no clue what's going on.

Miroku stirred me out of my thoughts when he slapped Sango's butt, making her actually hit him with the spatula. She huffed and turned back to the stove. "One more strike and I'll dump this omelette on your head."

Sighting, the pervert pouted until his food was ready, watching with bulging eyes as it was placed before him.

"Enjoy," Sango said, turning off the stovetop. "I'm heading for a shower to get ready. See you guys in thirty?"

"Yes you will," I replied, taking the finally ready toast and buttering it.

When Sango left the kitchen, I saw Miroku frown, his eyes trailing from his food to the empty doorway.

"What?" I asked, studying his behaviour suspiciously. Miroku was generally odd anyways, but this seemed a bit much. "Not hungry anymore?"

Miroku frowned again. "Sango is in the shower, right?"

Inuyasha finally spoke up, lips tilted into a smirk. He almost looked amused. "Yeah but what do you care?"

One incredulous look later and Miroku was on his feat, omelette in hand. "I'll see you later."

I laughed as my friend left the kitchen, a glazed look on his face that clearly displayed he was fantasizing. I really didn't want to think about what.

"Someone had a food kink," Inuyasha said, immediately halting my laugh.

I cringed. "Aw, don't say shit like that."

"He didn't even offer it to me," Inuyasha sighed.

I stared at him with wry amusement. "You want me to make you one?" Handing him the toast, I popped a slice in my mouth.

Inuyasha looked stunned. "You would?"

"Not a chance," I laughed, picking up the second slice and walking out the door. "I'm getting reading in my room. Knock if you need me."

"Goddammit wench," Inuyasha cursed and I could hear his growl all the way back to my bedroom.

* * *

It hit me right about the time that Sango and Miroku smiled at Inuyasha and merely waved at me with a half-assed glance my way. Something was going on between the three of them.

That was potentially very, very bad.

The car ride was silent towards the building where we spared. While Boomerang's was in the middle of nowhere surrounded by nothing but dirt and rocks, this building was much the same in a different location. The reason the two buildings were separate was because the training area also contained a shooting range, a couple hundred different types of weapons (all with permits to unreal identities), the blood of maybe fifty different demon slayers and well, a whole lot more. If this building was ever found, Miroku and Sango decided that they couldn't have it by their bar. While that would've been convenient, if the cops ever came snooping there would be big trouble.

All thoughts of illegal activity aside, the car ride was too quiet. Inuyasha was too...content. Sango and Miroku were acting too...nice. Something was definitely up and I needed to determine what. I still had yet to learn about what Miroku and Sango said about me the first time, the long while ago.

"You know," I started, glancing at my half-demon companion briefly before continuing. "Payback's a bitch."

Inuyasha frowned momentarily. "Payback for what, exactly?"

I shrugged. "Depends. Right now, it's for you not telling me what went on between you, Sango and Miroku and what's going on between you three now."

"Wench, what the hell are you babbling about now?" But I could see the intense glint in his eyes, the knowing look that he wasn't stupid, just playing it.

"I told you I'd get my revenge. Remember in that motel room long ago? I told you that I would find out what was said."

Inuyasha rolled his golden eyes. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yeah, you said that then too." I grinned, turning the card down another desolate street. "After we fight doubles, I'm going to be teaching you important things."

"You're going to teach me how to fight?" I watched as Inuyasha's smirk grew and a laugh belted out.

I just shrugged again. "No, I'm going to teach you how to fight demons."

The snort directed my way was easy to ignore, especially when Inuyasha turned his head in an attempt to ignore me. As if he could do such a thing with such ease. I wasn't that easy.

Parking randomly in a dirt lot when we finally reached our destination, I popped the truck and smiled as I got out. "You have been warned dog boy."

"What-the-fuck-ever wench," Inuyasha snapped back, slamming the car door shut.

"Hurry up you two!" Miroku called, waving at us from their own truck that was parked a bit further away. He was holding several long bags, tucking them under his arm as he followed Sango to the big wooden door of the building.

The structure was actually more like an abandoned barn, the wooden sides and big, square support beams reflecting the age of time it's survived. Cobwebs and dust circled around us as we approached the doorway, waiting for Sango to unlock the combination before letting us all in.

I let Inuyasha wander around the large, spacious gym while I helped Sango and Miroku set up a few pieces of equipment. Suddenly, we were all ready. With the padded mats on the floor below us, the three of us stretched muscles and prepared to spar. I called Inuyasha over but when he snorted at my warning for him to stretch, I just rolled my eyes.

Typical Inuyasha. Only he would not listen to the person he practically stalked to "teach" him. Idiot.

"You ready to eat padding?" Miroku yelled out, grinning like a fool when he jumped up and down. While sparing was generally Sango's favourite thing to do, I had a sneaking suspicion that Miroku enjoyed it more because Sango looked _hot_ when she kicked ass.

Miroku said it enough times to practically engrain that knowledge into my poor, scarred brain.

"Does no one realize that I'm half-demon?" Inuyasha growled, shifting from foot to foot.

I laughed, looking at him. "Come here Superman. Let's make a plan."

"Plans are for pansies," Inuyasha countered, looking at me seriously. "You're underestimating me, which is strange since I've saved your ass a handful of times."

I sighed, shaking my head slowly and looking at Sango. "So, so stupid."

Sango nodded. "Very."

"Let's get down to business," I said calmly, smirking at my two best friends who stood across from me. I knew that this was just going to be the typical workout with them. We would punch and kick and probably nearly beat the crap out of the other, but demon slayers had to be prepared.

I learned that the hard way.

"The only rule is that you're done when your attacker has effectively got you and put their hand over your heart," Miroku said, looking at Inuyasha since Sango and I had long ago created the rules ourselves.

Instantly I braced myself, knowing Sango far too well through the years to actually make the running start myself. I watched as Sango's black and pink outfit danced before my eyes, ducking low to narrowly miss a kick to the head. My hand shot out, blocking her next punch before landing a blow of my own to her gut. I shoved her away as best I could, looking around the room quickly for Inuyasha.

...Who was already on the ground with Miroku standing on top of him, bouncing.

Well joy. I can't wait to hear the tirade that will surely come out of his mouth after this.

"Focus."

The words were as sharp as the punch to my face. I could feel the pain across my cheek, making me blink hard as I stumbled back into a steady position. I nearly got kicked in the head again, crouching down at the last moment to swipe Sango's legs out from under her. She crashed to the padded carpet and my hand instantly made its way to her chest – her heart. It was game over for Sango.

"How dare you hurt the woman I love!"

Great. Only Miroku would use a battle-cry of undying love during a training session.

I turned around just in time to be barrelled over, drilled into the ground by Miroku's weight. His shoulder dug painfully into my stomach, making me gasp for air before struggling. I grabbed at his hair, tugging it back as hard as I could before I wrapped my legs around his waist and twisted him around. Now I was on top of him, punching him twice in the face before slamming my hand down on his heart.

Miroku groaned before laughing, his hands making their way to my hips to push me up. "You've gotten stupidly good. I'm really glad I'm not a demon."

I grinned at him before offering my hand and helping him up. I could tell the second I turned around that Inuyasha was glaring daggers at me.

"That was totally _unfair_!

You can't just start a match without anyone declaring war!" Inuyasha complained, stomping his foot like a two year-old. It was actually quite cute.

No. Wait.

Not cute at all.

No, because my half-demon companion wasn't gorgeous or sexy or _cute_ in any way possible.

I'm sexually deprived but _dammit_ I refuse to be sexually desperate. Although, I'm pretty sure I've already admitted to being such.

Fuck.

"In real life, demons don't wait for the green light before they attack you," I replied, looking at him. "If you actually listened to me instead of rolled your eyes thinking you were the shit, maybe you wouldn't have been down for the count after five seconds."

Inuyasha huffed. "It was not five seconds."

"Four, my bad," I scoffed, shaking my head. "Alright, let's go again."

And so it went. We fought doubles for five additional rounds. Each time, Inuyasha slowly caught on to Miroku and Sango's tactics. By the third round, Inuyasha managed to stay in a minute long. Once he actually managed to take out Sango. The other four times though, just like the first round that Inuyasha desperately didn't want to count, I had to finish Sango and Miroku off myself.

It wasn't fun.

"Well that was great," Sango said, smiling despite the rather large bruise forming on her stomach. "Are you going to partner off then?"

"We might as well," I replied, going to retrieve two bottles of water that Sango and Miroku had thoughtfully brought with them. "Since Inuyasha is finally understanding that being half-demon means nothing if you can't fight properly."

"Hey!"

I sighed. "It's not all instinct. I bet you'd kick a lot more ass if there was adrenaline running through your veins like in an actual fight. Right now? You're kind of useless – and I mean that lovingly." I rolled my eyes at the last part.

Inuyasha was wide-eyed and panted as he watched me, skin glistening as he grabbed the hem of his t-shirt and pulled it over his head. "Whatever. Let's just do this."

Aw. That's no fucking fair.

How the hell am I supposed to teach him anything when he's _topless_? He shaped like fucking Adonis, the cruel bastard. His skin was glistening like he was bathing in oil and his golden eyes were shining with anticipation for the fight.

"Here," I grunted, tossing him the second water bottle. "Drink this."

Fuck my life just really doesn't cover it.

Sango and Miroku went to the other side of the large room, obviously giving us some space so we could focus on each other. I watched them while I took smaller sips of the water, noticing the fluid and graceful way they fought. Miroku won the first round. Sango won the second and third.

"They're really good," Inuyasha whispered and I jumped at the sudden closeness of his body. Sometimes I wished that his demon presence did register on my radar, so I could tell how close he was getting. Then again, if I heard that annoying sound 24/7, I think I'd rip my hair out. "I was surprised at how good they were."

I nodded, continuing to watch the two of them battle it out. "Sango's father was a demon slayer until he was killed one day by one of those filthy bastards," I said quietly, still unable to hide the venom in my voice. I knew the story a long time ago, since I first met the pair. "Sango grew up and knew everything about demon killing but she didn't have the holy powers like her father did."

"And Miroku?" Inuyasha asked, pressing on with what I would almost consider a gentle tone. "How about him?"

"His father was possessed by one and the demon killed them both," I responded. "Miroku didn't have a mother or any siblings so he devoted his life to hunting them – until he met Sango."

The curious gaze in Inuyasha's eyes never faded so I continued on, pausing only to drink a little more. "Sango still had her little brother since her mother was gone too. She was just trying to get by and give them food and shelter. I don't know all the very intimate details but they stuck together for a long while – over a year, I think. Eventually Sango set up shop here, hoping to do something for her and her little brother. Miroku left..." I shrugged, knowing the rest of what happened to him wasn't pretty. "He came back a few months later, done with the whole thing. I'm positive only Sango knows what happened to him during the time he was away."

"You don't even know?" Inuyasha asked, sounding almost incredulous. "I would think–"

"I'm not here enough, or long enough, to ever really get into those deep and meaningful conversations." I sighed as I threw the water bottle down on the ground. "They're my best friends in the entire world and when I'm finished with the whole demon slaying life, I'm going to stay here and live with them. It's just... I haven't been able to get to that point yet."

"Because of this upcoming problem," Inuyasha finished, nodding.

I let the moment slip away, focusing back on the reason why we were at the training building in the first place. "Alright, time for your lesson," I murmured, giving him a small smile. "First of all, I'm going to teach you the best way to immobilize a human being possessed."

Inuyasha scoffed. "I know what I'm doing," he assured me. "You just knock them in the head really hard or throw them into a wall until they're not moving much. Then you, almighty demon slayer, read that freaky exorcism and bam! All done."

I winced. "Wrong. Very, very, horribly wrong." I reached out to his face, touching certain areas and prodding at pressure points. "Anything you do can injure the human, remember that. When a demon possesses a human, the human soul is still inside, trapped. You can't hurt them."

Growling, the half-demon slapped my hands away. "How the hell can I do that? You fucking humans are so breakable."

"Except me," I pointed out, smiling a little. "I'm pretty sure I can kick your ass."

Without warning, Inuyasha grabbed my wrist and twisted me around, kicking my legs out from underneath me so I fell to my knees.

"Dammit Inuyasha," I cursed, tilting my head back to see his stupid face. "Why the fuck would you do that?"

"Well, in real life demons don't wait for the green light to attack you," Inuyasha mimicked, glaring down at my smugly.

I was so going to wipe that smile off his stupid perfect face.

Correction: his stupid face. No need to get specific mind.

No need at all.

Especially with him topless.

Ah, fuck.

I waited for a moment until I could see a break of weakness in his grip. Instantly I twisted my body and fought my way free. He was on top of me in a second and I barely dodged his shoulder to my neck as I squirmed my way around him.

Putting all the force I could into one blow, I elbowed him in the back of the head, watching him fall forward before grabbing his shoulders and pushing down. Instantly, I could feel the world flipping as he somehow managed to get me on my back, his own body struggling to pin me down.

"Dog boy," I gasped, punching him twice in the gut to no avail. I changed tactics and kicked my legs out, nearly causing him a major groin injury before rolling away. His warm hand gripped my ankle and he dragged me backwards. I kicked back with my free foot, hearing the crunch as my face connected with what I assume was his face before his grasp around my ankle loosened.

"Fuck you bitch," he hissed, on his back with his one hand around his nose. I could see the blood dripping.

I slowed my pace, knowing that he was seriously hurt. I stopped and sighed, rolling to a stand before heading towards the First Aid kit. "Can you breathe properly?"

"Through my mouth," Inuyasha muttered. "I think you broke my nose."

"See? I thoroughly kicked your ass," I quipped, hurrying with the kit until I was back by his side. "Alright, take your hand away so I can see."

And then my entire world spun.

I was punched in the face so hard I literally saw stars. My neck snapped backwards and I flew back into the mat, blinking stupidly at the ceiling.

Did that really just happen?

Inuyasha was on top of me instantly, smirking and smug. I could see right away that his nose wasn't broken at all. The asshole just had a bit of a bloody nose.

Motherfucking son of a bitch.

"Gotcha wench," he said tauntingly, hands grabbing my wrists.

Anger pumped through my veins so fast and hard that I could barely contain it as I lashed out. I punched him three times in places I wasn't even sure of. When his weight wasn't too heavy on mine I used my legs to push him backwards. I kicked at his shins, making him groan slightly as I crawled over him and punched his face.

"Fuck you," I spat, my head spinning. I was acting alone on blind fury and instinct to survive. It was a strange feeling that fell upon me, like adrenaline on adrenaline. I couldn't stop or think rationally about where I was hitting or what damage I was causing.

It was just hit, survive, punch, duck, attack, _live_.

My hand instinctively fell on top of his heart and though my mind supplied that it was no good – that my holy powers were obviously limited to demons only – something changed. There was a change to the air, something I couldn't define as I let this hyped-up adrenaline coursed through me.

And then I felt it. Strings wound their way around my fingers, his heart like a puppet I could manipulate. I felt the fast pumping of his heart and hear the blood rushing like rapids through his veins.

I pulled. My hand lifted from his chest and somewhere far away I could hear a cry of pain. His heart was attached to my hands, just waiting to be purified. The demon blood and demon heart within him was pounding mercilessly against my palm. I could purify it, making it something of good as I could feel my hand start to close, the strings about to snap–

Another cry of pain, much louder and stronger and I blinked, opening my hand and leaping away from Inuyasha.

Sango and Miroku were beside us, watching in horror as Inuyasha panted for breath on the mat and I simply stared in absolute horror. Soon, Miroku leaned down to check Inuyasha's chest, inspecting for any wounds or serious damage.

Of course he wouldn't find anything. Any damage I had just caused would've been internal.

"Holy shit," I cursed, feeling my entire body shake. Slowly I crawled forward, stopping a foot away from Inuyasha's rapidly panting body. "Inuyasha?" I whispered.

I was too scared for a response.

Suddenly his eyelids fluttered and I could see the hues, usually so golden, gleaming at me with a changing colour I couldn't determine. As if his orbs were an hourglass with swirling sand, the honey-gold colour eventually returned. His gaze never left mine. I never looked away from him.

It was in that moment I realized two things:

#1: Inuyasha wasn't as immortal to me as we thought.

#2: He was fucking terrified and I swallowed hard as I realized the reasons were far from just the one action that had brought it all up to the surface.

* * *

**By the way, this was totally NOT edited beforehand. Sorry. I thought I should just post it and redo it later. I will...eventually?**

**Let me know what you think, I appreciate feedback and wonderful constructive critiques :)**


	18. Maybe One Day

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Eighteen: Maybe One Day**

* * *

"_Who's going to be there after the last angel has flown?"_

_-Nobody Knows, Pink_

* * *

It was a lot like someone hit the fast-forward button after that.

It was also a lot like Inuyasha and I had just broken up, like a couple that had been deathly in love for years until one of us found out the other cheated. It was like I _wronged _him by just...doing.

By just purifying.

It shouldn't have worked like that. I knew it in my head that if salt didn't bother him and the Key of Solomon didn't trap him surely I couldn't purify him. His heart...it was _human_. It wasn't black. He was just tainted by it, like little dots in his blood stream or something. There shouldn't have been enough for me to–

"Kagome, snap out of it," Sango ordered, shaking my shoulders.

I looked up immediately, studying the magenta eyes and perfectly cut bangs that hung over her face. Her expression held so much worry and confusion that a laugh almost bubbled up inside of me, making me think that this was all some stupid mistake. "Where's Inuyasha?" I asked, clearing my throat when the noise barely came out above a whisper. "Where?" I repeated.

"I think he's outside." Miroku's hand was on my right shoulder then, his warmth added to Sango's. "What the hell happened?" he asked softly.

This time I did laugh; the sound bitter and leaving a vile taste in my mouth. "I wish I knew. I wish to fucking god I knew." Because I didn't really which was the kicker to this entire bullshit mess. Did I actually almost purify Inuyasha? Was that even possible?

_No._

But I felt it. I felt his heart on the strings and the connection.

_I could've killed him_.

Fuck.

Scrambling to get on my feet, I used Sango and Miroku as leverage to move. Instantly I bolted towards the door, barely thinking about anything besides _Inuyasha's not dead_, _Inuyasha's not dead_. I felt the heat as soon as the doors flew open, flying outwards as I shoved my way outside. Sango and Miroku were close behind, their footsteps echoing mine along the gravel.

My heart almost stopped when I saw him.

He was leaning against the Corvette, his dark sweat pants and red top standing out from the yellow paint. His long black hair blew lightly in the breeze, eyes focused ahead on something in the distance I couldn't quite see. His arms were crossed tightly, as if he was hugging himself to keep his heart protected, sheltered away from me.

I blinked five or six times before the moment came crashing back down on me and I ran towards him. "Inuyasha, I- Are you- You okay?" Stumbling over words didn't even faze me, a trait that was so uncharacteristic that even Inuyasha frowned at me.

"What do you want, goddamn wench?" Inuyasha spat, the words holding no heat despite the past event. It sounded like he was tired, being pinned down by something massive that I couldn't conceive.

It came flashing back to me then, the moment of horrified acknowledgement when I pulled away from him. He was scared and pained, that much was obvious. But there was something buried under the golden orbs that screamed a fear much deeper than the surface I scratched on. Whatever he was hiding – whatever reason he was with me and training to fight other demons – had just been risked or altered in some way.

"I want to know if you're okay," I replied, trying to catch his gaze even as he refused to look at me directly.

"Just peachy for almost having my heart ripped out." Inuyasha sighed. "Son of a bitch."

"It's not like I _knew_," I countered, crossing my arms defensively. "And neither did you. I thought you were immune to my tricks since all that other stuff–"

"I was."

It was my turn to frown, taking a step closer into his space. "What was that?"

Inuyasha was silent, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. His eyes shifted ever so slightly, moving from the distant figure to the sky. There was desperation in his eyes, a need and desire to do something that he had no control over any longer. The power balance had shifted in one second and while I should be more than just a little pleased, nothing in me felt content.

"I was immune to you," Inuyasha muttered and this time the words did come out bitter.

This was absolutely insane. "What? But, why now?" I snapped, feeling angered for reasons I couldn't even begin to imagine. I could hear Sango and Miroku in the background, standing somewhere I couldn't see. I hardly cared. This didn't concern them and while I loved them dearly as the only family I had, I couldn't drag this over their heads too. "Why can I purify you now?"

"You could always do it," Inuyasha grumbled, shaking his head slowly and shifting his golden eyes to the gravel floor. "You momentarily did it before, during the Wadsworth Incident. You pushed me against the wall– I didn't think anything of it. It wasn't _like_ that, you were just pissed."

"I was pissed back there too," I uttered quietly, sighing when I realized eye contact with the half-demon would be next to impossible. He was avoiding me like the plague. "I didn't– It doesn't make sense Inuyasha. If you were immune to me then I couldn't always do it, but now you're saying I could because I was angry and I don't get it and what the–?"

A rough hand was pressed to my mouth, instantly stopping whatever words were about spew out. I couldn't help it. This was...overwhelming in a sadistic little way. The demon slayer who's surprised she can purify half-demons? It doesn't sound like that should surprise me at all. It doesn't seem like something that should _disgust_ me like the way it does now.

"It's not important," Inuyasha said simply. "We'll keep on training, got it?"

Immediately I started shaking my head, thinking he was out-of-his-mind nuts. Muffled complaints erupted, easily blocked by Inuyasha's hand. I grabbed his arm and tried to tug it away, whining when I felt him hold on tighter.

"Relax wench," Inuyasha said. Finally his amber eyes met mine and it was absolutely ridiculous that I was feeling _better _because of it. Things like this shouldn't happen. My _life_ shouldn't happen. "We'll figure this shit out later."

I whined in aggravation but he shook his head. "I don't want to hear it. You still have to show me those tricks or whatever of yours. This doesn't change anything but the fact that you're getting stronger. Got it?"

It felt like it was changing _everything_ but I kept that knowledge to myself. The idea that Inuyasha thought I was getting stronger startled me. When his hand left my mouth, argument fresh on my lips, I let it die. There was no point. Not here. Not now.

"Is everything okay?" Sango asked, finally stepping into the conversation. She looked a little wary with Miroku's hand so tightly wrapped in hers. "Did you want to go? I think we should go."

"No, we're fine," I answered, still keeping my eyes on Inuyasha's. "We'll keep training, at least for another hour."

"Kagome–"

"Okay," Miroku interrupted, looking at Sango when she huffed about his interruption. "Let's get back to work."

There was silent communication between them. I could feel it even as I just stood beside the two. With them living together, working together and obviously having a relationship with each other, their connection must be strong.

Still, I couldn't drag my eyes away from Inuyasha's and when he finally looked at me, a sharp chill went down my spine.

This was not an expected turn of events.

This was not something I could just forget. Undoubtedly, Inuyasha wouldn't forget either.

* * *

By the time we returned to Boomerang's I was sweaty and gross. Sango and Miroku were in much better condition, their faces flushed but nothing out of sorts. _I _on the other hand looked like I just came out of a washing machine with my hair askew and clothes rumpled.

Inuyasha was a quick learner – that much I figured out.

"I'm getting in a shower," Inuyasha called, briefly looking at me before taking off towards his room. I watched him go, swearing that I wasn't looking because of the way he started to strip his shirt off or the way his muscles flexed with each movement. No, I was looking because he was merely in my line of sight.

"Kagome, you're drooling," Sango whispered, snapping her fingers and making me turn my head sharply towards her.

I scowled. "I am not. He's just...there."

Sango nodded, fiddling with her hair elastic and letting her long black hair fall out around her shoulders. She looked down the hall where Inuyasha had been, her features twisting to a look I knew well.

"Don't say it," I muttered, shaking my head and turning tail for the kitchen.

"I wasn't saying anything," Sango replied, smiling at me. "Want to toss me a water bottle?"

I opened the fridge and grabbed two, throwing one towards her without looking. Sango caught it with barely a glance. Good reflexes were generally something all demon slayers had. "It's been awhile, okay?" It felt like a confession, even though it wasn't. I closed my eyes and sighed as I shut the fridge door, leaning against it. "It's just been awhile," I repeated, as if saying it would help my case at all. I knew it wouldn't, especially not with Sango, but it couldn't hurt.

Sometimes I liked to believe that if I said or thought something enough, it would come true. When my father had just been killed and I was living on the streets, I used to curl up in a corner and shut my eyes tight. I'd think to myself over and over 'This is just a bad dream. This is just a bad dream. You'll wake up in the morning late for school and everything will be okay. Daddy will be okay'.

Eventually, I stopped trying.

"I know," Sango whispered, like she was telling me a secret. "I worry about you, is all."

"Yeah," I snorted, uncapping the bottle and taking a long swig. The water felt good sliding down my throat, the coolness making me feel like I could breathe properly again. "I worry about me too."

"And him?" Sango asked, gesturing with her head towards the hallway Inuyasha escaped down. "What does he think?"

"I'm not quite sure," I responded, turning so that my back was pressed against the fridge. "Sometimes I think it's all a trick, you know? Find the slayer that's the loneliest, have it confirmed by her friends when they're talking behind her back and then take advantage." Sango's face crumpled into a guilty expression and I waved at her with a dismissive glance. "Sango, I don't care," I said immediately, giving her a small smile. "I know you guys were just upset and confused. I know you both worry. Hell, I'm _glad _you both worry. No one else does."

"Inuyasha does," Sango replied, tracing a pattern on the counter she was sitting on. "You can see it on his face."

I nodded, not really believing it because the moment I did, something would go wrong. Something always went wrong. "Other times, I think that he's generally there for the right reasons – good reasons. He's disgusted by what we see sometimes, I can just tell. His face will become this _mask_ but his eyes are–" I cut myself off before I got anymore poetic. Laughing a little I took another swig of water, already three-quarters finished the bottle. "I don't know."

There was a long moment of silence between the two of us, the only sounds were water running through the pipes in the walls and Miroku's faint humming while he was putting away equipment in the back. I sighed, about to leave for my own room to shower when Sango spoke up.

"He called us," she said finally, looking at the counter for a pause before glancing up at me. "The night before I called he stole your cell phone and called us. He said that you needed a friend and that this case got really hard for you and he felt like he couldn't help."

The words stung a bit, knowing that everyone seemed to find it so easy to talk behind my back. Sango and Miroku did it because they thought I was going crazy and off the deep end. Now, Inuyasha was calling them to confirm their fears.

"I'm _fine_," I snapped, closing my eyes tight for just a moment. "I- I-" And then the words came rushing out. The Wadsworth Incident was given in detail, all of the little things that made me smile and in the end made me sick. How I killed another human being – a human being I genuinely liked – because I couldn't save him. How I was trapped because this angel named Midoriko said I wasn't finished and that I was chosen. How the duke of Hell was trying to convert me and lure me with promises I wanted so desperately to believe in. I didn't even realize I was crying until a tear fell down onto my hand.

Sango just sat and listened through all of it, not saying a word, just giving me exactly what I needed. When I finally finished and wrapped it all up with some crap one-liner, she merely stood up and hugged me, running her hands through my hair. Sango was only a year older than me, but sometimes I felt like she could be my mother. When I was upset or torn or in trouble, I could always talk to her or rely on her to save my ass. Right now, I needed someone to listen to me and to make me feel like I wasn't alone through all of it.

I knew I was. Being the chosen demon slayer for Heaven didn't come without its drawbacks, but sometimes Sango made me feel like she was right there with me, walking through the same hell.

Without a word, Miroku entered the room. Quickly taking in what he saw, and probably a look from Sango, he quietly came up and hugged us both, squishing me in the middle.

"Thanks guys," I whispered, smiling despite it all and actually feeling a little better. The weight on my shoulders wasn't so heavy and for the first time in weeks I felt like breathing wasn't going to kill me.

"We're here for you Kags," Miroku mumbled. He didn't know why I was like this but I had no doubt that Sango would tell him later. That's okay, he deserved to know too.

I was just happy that the two of them finally found each other, even though they'd never left. Maybe one day I could share the happiness that they had. Maybe one day I'd actually be able to breathe air and know that nothing was going to kill me and that I was going to live a long and healthy life. Maybe I'd have kids. Maybe I'd be a grandmother.

Right now, it didn't matter. I had friends that loved me and a more-than-complicated apprentice. While things could definitely get a lot better, the fluffy place I was sitting in currently really wasn't so bad.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha watched Kagome say goodbye. Sango and Miroku were hugging her tightly, making her promise that she'd come visit sooner rather than later or they would hunt her down. Miroku surprised him by coming over and giving Inuyasha a slap on the back.

"You take care, man," Miroku said, smiling slightly. "And take care of our Kagome. She's precious."

They didn't know just how precious she was.

Sango came up to him next, kissing his cheek and thanking him quietly for calling her a week ago to drag them both down here. When she pulled away, her dark eyes held something close to acceptance and gratitude, and Inuyasha wasn't exactly sure what to do with it. So instead of making a fool out of himself, he smirked and wished them both luck.

"You ready?" Kagome asked, smiling wider than he had seen in a long time. The week at Boomerang's really did something to change it. Maybe it was the big talk he overheard her speaking with Sango. Maybe it was the fact that there were no potential demons to kill her. There was good food, good company and slowly, as the days wore on, Kagome changed into something that Inuyasha would call _happy_.

Inuyasha was entirely too conflicted.

The moment when she almost killed him, his fucking heart playing for her on a fucking string, he knew that he was more than just a bit screwed. He was literally about to die and nothing flashed before him – no lights, no memories, no fucking grand old times. All he got was nausea and pain and the inability to breathe.

Kagome was getting stronger, tapping into her powers that she didn't know she had.

He knew of course. Inuyasha wasn't stupid – he was here for a reason. He _wanted _her to find those powers. He _planned _to have her grow stronger, get smarter; all the while training him to become a better and more capable person. It was all part of the _plan_.

And then, in that one fucking instant, all he could think about was betrayal. She was killing him. _She._ Kagome. Goddamn fucking _Kagome_. And it hurt.

Well fuck it shouldn't hurt. He shouldn't be pussy-footing around the issue like he was now. He shouldn't be displeased that she was gaining her ability to do what he wanted her to do. He shouldn't be unhappy at the sight of her having a life besides him and their strange partnership.

If Inuyasha didn't smarten up, the plan would fall apart and everything he'd worked so hard for and the years he put into this would puff up into smoke and blow away with the wind.

No, he couldn't have that.

"Dude, you're quiet," Kagome commented, shoving at him playfully as they drove down some dirt road. Inuyasha wasn't really paying attention but the moment she touched him, heat crawled through him like a damn disease.

"I'm not quiet, you're quiet," he shot back, smirking.

He knew that she could read him, that she was _currently_ reading him. He knew that some part of his face tended to give away how he was feeling. Her full lips thinned for a moment before quickly disappearing. A smile blossomed on her face and she turned on the music, roaring up the volume until Inuyasha was sure he'd be deaf in five minutes.

"Just gonna stand there and hear me cry," Kagome sang loudly, her voice mixing with the music blaring out of the speakers. "But that's alright because I love the way you lie. I love the way you lie."

Well fuck.

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	19. A Little Push

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Nineteen: A Little Push**

* * *

"_I gotta make it to Heaven for goin' through Hell. I gotta make it to Heaven. I hope I make it to Heaven. Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference."_

_-I Gotta Make it to Heaven, 50 Cent_

* * *

The trip to Stillwater, Minnesota wasn't the worst trip I've ever had.

It was a solid day and a bit of driving, so while I cursed Inuyasha's inability to drive a standard car, I was grateful for the breaks at the motel rooms. Inuyasha was back to his normal self, even though I didn't really know what his normal self was like. He made fun of me mostly, occasionally was serious and ninety percent of the time had a scowl on his face.

It was like we pushed the whole training mishap behind us, even though I knew Inuyasha was still shaken about it. Maybe not about me potentially killing him – no, that wasn't it. Inuyasha was worried about something and I had a feeling it was to do with his secret agenda. It was the reason I was training him for something, whatever that something may be.

The obituary for the death of a murdered man sat on the dashboard, the sun shining its light on it. I could see the reflection painted so clearly on the glass, the man's sharp face and dark eyes. Another man murdered by a demon. Another wife grieving in his absence. Sometimes, when I really wanted to pity my life, I would think about how shitty it was to deal with death constantly. Sometimes, when I wanted to feel like my life had purpose, I thought of all the men and women I'd helped.

Usually it was never enough.

"I can hear you thinking, it's so fucking loud," Inuyasha grumbled, his closed eyes opening a crack to squint at me. "What's your deal?"

"I don't have one," I replied, keeping my thoughts to myself as I glanced once more at the copied obituary. "So read the case to me again. Why do you think it's a demon?"

Huffing his displeasure, Inuyasha glared at me before sighing and getting the paper from the dashboard. "His name was Kinka Saitou and he was killed in a mental institution after being admitted two days prior."

I spared him a glance before turning back to the pavement washing under the car. "That really doesn't sound any bit surprising. What was he in for?"

"He was diagnosed with schizophrenia and was brought to the United Path mental clinic. They found him in his room, strangled to death by another patient."

I shook my head. "I don't see where the demon aspect kicks in. Do you think it was a possession?"

Inuyasha smirked at me, waving the paper like he was holding gold. "Nope, I'm pretty sure the insane human actual killed him. _But_ I think a demon put him in there and that's as good as murder, right?"

"A demon is a demon," I replied, still not quite sure what to make of the case. "What tipped you off?"

"There was an article written about him, posted the same time as the obituary. It goes on and on about the guy – like he was some sort of king. He had a successful fine dining restaurant, a big house, nice cars, supermodel girlfriends... He was a great employer and neighbour. Kinka even won _awards_ presented by the council for his outstanding contribution to charity events in the community and volunteer work. He was _the _man of Stillwater – and that's not a small place."

"And so there's no possible way that he could've just had a mental break?" I sighed. "Inuyasha, this really doesn't sound like a case to me. It's unfortunate but not a demon."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Stop talking and just listen, will you? They brought him to United Path because he was having delusions about being a _king_ in the middle of a battle. He kept blabbing on about saving his crown and all that. Whoever wrote the article thought it was ironic."

"And you thought it was _demonic_?" Inuyasha seemed to be acting normal, but his reason for picking this case wasn't exactly thorough. I watched him as best as I could while driving, noting the smooth lines of his face and the calculating look in his eyes while he read the article again. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was ahead on something, looking forward to whatever came next.

"Demons don't just like _killing _humans Kagome," Inuyasha said softly, still looking at the paper. Suddenly he threw the article onto the dash and sighed. "They like to toy with them first. It's entertaining."

"It's sick," I said instantly, ignoring flashes of memories that spun around in my head. The day I was forced to forget everything that I loved and live the life of a slayer was something that would always haunt me.

"It's life," Inuyasha continued. "Now Kinka wasn't married and there's no hint that he was dating anyone at the time. The restaurant he owned is on Main Street North, self-named."

Nodding, I tried to remember directions as I headed towards restaurant. "We'll head over there first and try to see what might have changed to make him go insane."

Main Street was littered with restaurants and shops, buildings lining the road as people bustled by with bags of unnecessary items and clothing. It wasn't hard to find the deceased man's restaurant; the flashing sign screaming _Kinka's _was easy to spot all the way from the moon. Pulling the Corvette into a spot just to the side of the door, Inuyasha and I made our way into the stylish building. Candles provided low lighting as a small petit hostess beamed at us. "Welcome to _Kinka's_. How are you this evening?"

"Well, and you?" I responded, smiling at the teenage girl.

"I'm good. A table for two?"

"Please," I said, smiling at her once more as she gathered two menus and brought us towards the middle section of the dining room.

Inuyasha was suddenly in my space, walking so close behind me I could feel the heat radiating off of him. "We're eating here?"

Shaking my head and then shrugging, I thanked the hostess as she brought us to a small booth in the corner of the restaurant. "We're getting information," I said when she left, "and eating while we do it. It's lunch time."

Suddenly a server appeared, a short woman with dark brown hair and soft eyes. She smiled at us, but it was forced and more than just a little watery. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

After ordering our food, I watched as the server politely excused herself. "She's our way in."

"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, huffing a sigh as he leaned on his arm. "I swear you just say shit for the fun of it."

Rolling my eyes, I ignored the insult. "Did you not see how puffy her eyes were? She's been crying on and off."

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Hello, half-demon? I'm amazed at how often I have to remind you. I can smell her tears wench."

"Can you hear what they're saying in the back?" I asked, leaning forward at the table and speaking low. There were two other couples sitting close to us and I would rather not set off any alarms about demons killing people or anything.

Frowning, Inuyasha's amber eyes looked into mine as he concentrated. I swear I could almost see the fuzzy appendages twitching on top of his head, his hair very subtly moving, like a gentle breeze was teasing the strands.

"It's hard," he admitted. "The kitchen in the back is pretty noisy with all the machines."

"Conversations?"

"There are a lot of men... Their deep voices are hard to hear over the droning."

I leaned even closer, never taking my eyes off of him. "What about any women? Our server would be in the back getting drinks."

He was silent for a few seconds, still intently staring at me. "Yeah... There are a couple of them. They go from talking to whispering though... It's hard to hear."

"Focus on their voices, that pitch," I encouraged.

"I think they're speculating what happened," Inuyasha whispered, as if talking any louder would break whatever thread he was holding onto to listen. "And their...worried. Someone is here that they don't like."

"Could someone be possessed here? A manager or something?"

Inuyasha shook his head, his black hair falling over his shoulders. "I don't smell sulphur. No...it's not a manager. They don't even work here, that's why they're confused, unhappy."

"So it has to be someone that has some sort of power. If they're in the back then they obviously know something in the building. Whoever is here is taking over."

"That's a big assumption," Inuyasha warned, finally snapping out of it just as the server came to drop off our drinks.

"Are you ready to order yet?" the woman asked, sniffling slightly but smiling nonetheless.

Oh, shit.

Suddenly, Inuyasha was smirking wide, drawing the female's attention and ordering food for the both of us. The server nodded and took the menus, promising to be back soon. When we were alone once again, I raised a brow at him.

"Did you just order for me?"

"I'm hungry and you would've taken forever," Inuyasha said easily, taking a long sip from his drink. "Anyways, who do you think is here?"

"What family did Kinka have?" I asked instead, having some water.

Inuyasha frowned. "Uh, a brother I think. His parents were deceased but he probably has some aunts and uncles. It didn't mention in the article."

I nodded, letting the puzzle pieces click into place. "We need to talk to the brother."

"What do we need to know?" Inuyasha asked, leaning closer to me. "Any demonic tests I have to do?"

"Well make sure you don't smell any sulphur close to him," I said, thinking. "Check for markings on his arm if you can. Ask him questions about Kinka, see what his reaction is."

"Got it," Inuyasha said, standing up. I watched him go, cringing as he flicked me on the shoulder in passing. I had the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

I held back. Barely.

"Oh you're so cute," a woman said. She was sitting at a table across from us, her husband grumbling on his cell phone across from her. "You've obviously just started dating."

"What?" I asked, staring wide-eyed at her in absolute horror. "Who?"

The woman laughed, turning away as her husband got off the phone. He apologized to her and held her hand, saying something to make her groan and then laugh out in amusement.

...Was she talking about Inuyasha and I?

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha knew he didn't actually have to talk to Kinka's brother. To be honest, he already knew everything that was going on. He knew the demon responsible. He knew that Kagome was going to have one hell of a fight ahead of her.

He also knew that this demon was going to feed her more information that brought her closer to their destination.

And that meant he would be closer to his goal.

Finding Kinka's brother wasn't that hard. A man in a dark business suit walked out of the kitchen and he was the spitting image of the man Inuyasha had seen in the paper. He and Kinka were obviously related and most likely, twins.

"Hey Kinka, how's it going man?" Inuyasha asked, grinning like an idiot and invading the man's personal space and clasping his hand in a shake.

"Excuse me," the man said, taking a step back. "You are mistaken. My name is Ginka. My brother passed away a week ago."

"Oh man, I'm so sorry," Inuyasha lied, throwing his hands up defensively. This Ginka character didn't smell like sulphur and when he grabbed his hand there were no markings or scratches on his skin."

"It's fine. Have a good day," Ginka said, barely sparing him a glance before heading out the front door of the restaurant.

"Well, aren't you pleasant?" Inuyasha said to no one in particular, spinning on his heel and heading back towards their booth.

Now, all he had to do was make up a couple lies and hope that Kagome connected the dots. She was a bright girl – he was sure she could figure it out if he just gave her a little push.

* * *

"So how did it go?" I asked the moment Inuyasha arrived back at the table.

Inuyasha shrugged and he avoided looking at me momentarily. Normally I wouldn't find this weird but when he did look at me I could see something guarded in his eyes, harsh.

"What?" I pressed. "Did you find anything?"

"His brother is up to something," Inuyasha replied, looking down at the table as he took his seat. "I can pinpoint it though."

"No suggestive smells?"

"Nothing," Inuyasha confirmed. "But he did talk about his brother to me a bit."

"Oh? And how did you manage that?" I asked, looking surprisingly at him. "Are my skills rubbing off?"

"As if," Inuyasha snorted. "No, but he mentioned it was sudden. One minute they were having a conversation and the next he was declaring his royalty and that he was king."

I sat there wondering, thinking about what demon could make people suddenly change like that. "Did he mention their eyes changing?"

"No. He said everything else was perfectly normal. At first he thought it was a joke."

I nodded. "So it's like a spell."

"But it would have to be a pretty specific spell to work so immediately," Inuyasha pressed, tapping his hand against the wood to halt any further conversation as the server returned with our lunch.

And right then, it hit me. "Damn."

"What?" Inuyasha asked, looking at me blankly.

"Ose, the one and only. Wise in all liberal sciences and when called upon can make any person his conjurer wishes to believe that they're a king or a pope." I groaned, covering my face in my hands. "He's the fucking president Inuyasha. A _president_."

"That'll be fun," Inuyasha remarked dryly. "But then again, maybe it'll help."

"How?" I whined, peeking between my fingers to see intense golden orbs.

Smirking, Inuyasha pointed the fork at me. "He also gives true answers on anything Heaven or Hell related. We could use this to our advantage."

This couldn't be happening. What were the chances of us actually finding a case – that had honestly not looked at all like a case until we got here – that had Ose here? Ose, who was probably the one demon that could actually help me find this Onigumo person?

"Did you plan this?" I asked, trying not to feel the twisting in my gut. Something was starting to not add up and I didn't like what the total was turning out to be. This could be the something he was hiding, could it? He wouldn't just come to me to go behind my back. That didn't make logical sense. Blindsiding me would be...outrageous.

"Why the hell would you think that?" Inuyasha asked, mouth slightly open in surprise. "I didn't even think about Ose until you mentioned it."

He sounded so sincere that in that moment I felt torn.

"Okay," I whispered, trying to push back whatever betrayal I started to feel. That was ridiculous. Instead, I focused on the food in front of me and on what next steps I could take.

I had heard rumours about this demon – there were very few demon slayers that made it out to tell the tale. But Ose apparently was never hard to find. He was just hard to kill.

It didn't matter anyways. If he was killing people then he would have to die. I was the best. I could do it. With Inuyasha at my side it should be a walk in the park.

And yet, the twisting feeling still didn't go away.

* * *

"In order to find Ose we need to find a medical centre of some sort. He always acts like a human with a particular job."

Inuyasha eyebrows rose as he threw the papers back onto the dashboard. "Do you just sit in front of the damned laptop and research these things for fun?"

I smiled, feeling Inuyasha's eyes boring into me as I continued to drive. "How sure are you that I'm right?"

"How sure are you that I have dog ears?"

I shrugged. "I still stay they look like cat ears."

Inuyasha's growl was more than just a little amusing, and I reached over to poke his shoulder. "Goddamn wench."

"Silly dog boy," I cooed. Looking back to the road, I made a sudden turn into a gas station and turned off the engine. "Stay here for a minute."

"_Stay here for a minute_," Inuyasha mimicked, making a face.

Getting out of the car, I leaned in and waited until his golden eyes held my gaze. "Stay boy, good _boy_."

"I will end you."

Laughing gleefully, I slammed the door and hurried into the mini-mart, running a hand through my hair as I approached the elderly looking cashier. I probably looked like an absolute mess, being in the car for the last seven hours. "Hi. I'm sorry but I'm new to this town," I said, smiling at the gentleman. "Do you happen to know where the closest counselling centre is?"

The older man frowned, looking at my car outside briefly before turning his gaze back to me. "You getting gas?"

"I just filled up a couple towns back," I replied ruefully. "I just need to find someone quickly. It's a bit of a family emergency."

Blinking, the cashier shook his head slowly. "I'd say," he huffed, tapping his hand against the counter. "You know Myrtle Street?"

"I think I do," I answered, trying to remember the last time I had been here. It had to be almost a year ago.

"Alright, drive south on Manning until you reach seventy-fifth. It'll change into Myrtle Street when you head east. Keep driving until you find – what was it? – Green, _Greeley_ Street. It's on the corner. Stillwater Counselling, I think. Something like that," the man grumbled.

Smiling, I reached down at grabbed a bag of candy, pulling out the last of my change to pay for it before thanking him and heading out. Inuyasha was scowling in the passenger seat still, his arms folded across his chest as he pointedly kept his head away from me. I threw the bag of candy at him, watching him startle slightly as the bulky packaging landed on his lap. "Enjoy the little things."

Inuyasha glared at me momentarily before opening the bag and sighing. "If you bought me dog treats, I would've punched you."

"Cat treats?" I asked, unable to help myself.

"You just be dead."

Nodding, because I couldn't imagine Inuyasha acting any other way, I started the engine and took off to follow the directions of the cashier.

"So where are we going?" Inuyasha asked, his mouth full of candy as gooey bits crowded his mouth.

I grimaced. "The Stillwater Counselling Centre; it'll be about a ten minute drive."

"Why the hell are we going there?" Inuyasha asked, hesitating for a moment before extending the bag of candy towards me.

"Don't you know Ose at all?" I asked, taking a couple bits of candy and ignoring the stern glare directed my way from the half-demon beside me.

Eventually I pulled onto a street filled with two storey houses and large maple trees. A few cars passed alongside us, heading in the opposite direction out of the subdivision and into the main part of Stillwater. Myrtle Street East was gorgeous mid-October, if not a little cold. People were outside raking leaves, light jackets covering their bodies as the wooden rakes pulled in fallen leaves. I made another left hand turn onto a street called Greeley, still seeing the familiar houses and cut lawns.

The last case I had been on here had been horrible. As the houses passed, I remembered more about the details. A lamia had been stalking the town, kidnapping children and using them for their own purposes. The blood trail had been disturbing at best, and I could recall long nights trying to hunt the thing destroying so many lives.

"Wench?"

Blinking, I turned towards Inuyasha with a frown. "What?"

"I think you passed it. I saw a sign just back there."

Sighing, I made a U-turn and pushed the old memories to the back of my mind. If I was going to face Ose, I was going to need more than just a little wit with me. I parked close to the front doors, turning off the car and facing Inuyasha. "Have you ever faced Ose before?"

Inuyasha stared at me, watching my features with his always intense gaze when sudden understanding flickered in his eyes. "No, but you know someone who has."

"Who _did_," I replied. "I know more than just one person who has gone up against him. None of them survived."

"So what the fuck are we doing here then?" Inuyasha asked softly, betraying his words.

I shrugged. "Ose likes to mingle around humans – we amuse him. He always poses as a therapist for some local counselling centre. If we go in there now he won't do a thing."

"He's not _stupid _wench," Inuyasha muttered, glaring. "He'll know who you are. Demons communicate and he'll know your face."

"He's bound to know yours too," I argued. "It doesn't matter. He won't attack us now. He's a president of _Hell_ Inuyasha. He likes to go into battle knowing he's prepared."

"So we catch him off guard."

I smirked, mirroring an image my half-demon companion would normally have. "Exactly."

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	20. All the King's Horses

**So. How have you been?**

**I'd like to say I'll update faster. But then, if I can't type it without laughing then obviously it ain't happening. So, you know, I'll give what I can. Considering I wrote the last ten pages within the last hour (it's past midnight here), it is not edited. At all. No beta.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

* * *

**

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty: All the King's Horses**

* * *

"_I've gotta make up for what I've done. 'Cause I was all up in a piece of Heaven while you burned in Hell, no peace forever."_

_-A Little Piece of Heaven, Avenged Sevenfold

* * *

_

Catching a president of Hell, retrospectively, wasn't that great of an idea.

It started out fine. Our plan was to get him alone and kill him, or to at the very least figure out _how _to kill him and then escape.

... It didn't go so well.

"Wench, I command you to drive me to get food. I'm fucking starved."

You can probably guess who that is currently yelling at me from somewhere under a bush. I can see the long strands of black hair peeking from out of the leaves, faded denim-clad legs propped out the end.

"First though wench, I command you to help me up."

Un-fucking-believable.

"Inuyasha, get out of the goddamn shrub!" I hissed, crawling along the long green grass. "We need to move _now_. He could still be following us."

Ah yes, _he_. 'He' being the great and almighty president of Hell. You might be wondering how we ended up like this. How Inuyasha was currently stuck in a mass of twigs and leaves. How I was trying not to yell too loud and draw attention to ourselves. How – basically – everything got so screwed up.

"You are a terrible servant wench. If I had another bitch, I would behead you."

How Inuyasha suddenly started acting like a _king_ and was saying the most ridiculous words like 'command you', 'servant' and 'behead'.

"I'm going to fucking behead you myself if you don't get a move on in the next thirty seconds!" I was whispering, but there wasn't one bit about my tone that was anywhere near friendly. "We need to get to my car."

Inuyasha finally poked his head out of the bush, golden eyes focused intently on me. "You're decently pretty. I could just whore you out instead."

Maybe if I explained to you what the hell happened in the last twenty-four hours, you'll understand and sympathize with my deep, unsettling need to just go postal on everyone.

It all went back to that horrible moment when we walked into the Stillwater Counselling Center, getting the attention of one of the most dangerous demons in the history of Hell.

* * *

"Exactly," I said, watching as Inuyasha's face lit up with recognition. "This is where we test your acting skills."

"No one said anything about acting," Inuyasha grumbled, looking at the large building. "I am not acting."

"Then I'll do all the work," I said, shutting off the engine and popping the trunk. "I just need you to rush him when you have the chance."

Inuyasha followed me to the back of the car, watching as I grabbed one of my guns and the silencer that attached. "You're going to shoot him?"

I shrugged, tucking the gun under my clothing. "I don't know what we're walking into. All I know is that we're facing a president of Hell. Being prepared would be ideal."

"You don't even know if he's in here," Inuyasha started, tagging along behind me. I could tell that he was glaring daggers into my back, for whatever reason he was being pissy. "You could be wrong."

I touched the door handle, hearing the faint _beep-beep_ start up in my head and I grimaced, glaring over at my so-called apprentice. "First of all, I've been doing this for a long time. I'm not sure if you recall, but I'm closing in on killing three-hundred demons. I think I know what I'm doing."

Inuyasha opened his mouth to say something, his amber eyes far too intense on my face. It was like he was telling me something without actually saying the words. Too bad I didn't know him well enough yet to figure his shit out.

"Second, I'm training _you_. So what I say goes at this particular moment. Stop questioning me since it's getting annoying."

He was definitely growling at me now. Wow, I think his upper lip is even curling in a snarl.

Opening the door to the counselling centre, I kicked as the mat and stormed into the waiting room. "And _third_, you son of a bitch, how dare you stare at that fucking bimbo at the restaurant! You were practically shoving your face in her chest!"

"You're back on that again?" Inuyasha yelled, throwing his hands up in the air as he followed me inside. He grabbed my arm somewhat painfully, spinning me around until we were face-to-face. "You talk way too _fucking _much!"

"Well you suck in the bedroom department! I have never met a man so incompetent at pleasing a woman." I smiled gleefully, looking around the room and seeing that we had quite an audience of people waiting for their appointments.

And Inuyasha? Well he was finally confused. "You and I never–"

"_Exactly!_" I screamed. "It's always you, you, you, you, you! You are selfish and arrogant and sexist to top it all off! I told your momma–"

"What the fuck are you ranting about?" Inuyasha asked, sounding way too bewildered to make this thing work anymore.

"Goddammit Inuyasha!" I hissed, still trying to be loud. Where the hell were the shrinks? They're supposed to come barging in at any second. "Sometimes you need to _act_ like you care about me. And _ACT_ like you care about our relationship!"

See? I'm very good at shit like this. Thank you dream-of-becoming-an-actress.

Inuyasha blinked at me and I could practically hear the wheels turning in his head. His eyes flickered around the room, taking in all the surprised and horrified faces of our audience.

"You don't even have anything to say to that, do you?" I whispered, taking a dramatic step away. Now it was time for the waterworks. I felt them build up, waiting as my vision blurred and warm tears slid down my cheeks.

"What's going on in here?" a female voice boomed, making both Inuyasha and I turn our attention to a large door that opened up into the rest of the building. There were four of them, most holding glasses of water or a snack bar. I guess we interrupted their break.

"He's a son of bitch! That's what!" I exclaimed, pointing at him and making my lower lip tremble. I searched each of the therapists' faces, hearing the beeping in my head intensify as I looked at a male with glasses and thin hair.

_There you are._

I ran forward, grabbing him by the sweater he was wearing and breaking out into sobs. "You have to see us!" There was a flash in the man's eyes, the colouring of red bleeding into grey irises as he observed me. Maybe I wasn't making myself clear enough. "We need your help _now_!"

One of the other therapists pushed forward, opening their mouth to speak but Ose merely shook his head at them. "I'll see them immediately. This shouldn't last long."

"But–" His co-worker wasn't pleased as he watched us go, frowning as Ose led us through the counselling centre and into one of the back rooms.

I glanced at Inuyasha, reminding him of the vague plan we had before entering the small doorway. Ose stood on the other side of the room, watching us both. "You've come to kill me?"

"No, actually, Inuyasha and I are very close to a divorce and we really needed the couple's therapy," I answered lightly, smiling. "What's a president doing all the way in Minnesota? This isn't exactly the classiest of all places to be hiding out."

_Come on Inuyasha, go_, I thought, wondering what the demon was up to. If there was a time to rush anyone, it was now.

Ose smiled, tilting his head. I could see the red bleeding into his eyes now, completely destroying the human colour. "I'm curious. What's the Chosen demon slayer doing with a half-demon? And _this _half-demon in particular?"

"Why does everyone _ask _that?" I grumbled, crossing my arms in a huff. _Attack dog boy. Come on!_ It was far too late for that though. In a blink Ose was in front of me, smiling down before punching me in the gut and sending me back into the door.

Inuyasha growled, and I watched blearily as my half-demon and Ose went at it. Inuyasha got in a few good punches, scratching the shit out of his face and making black blood run down the skin. Ose was only mimicking a human, not actually possessing one, so I took a deep breath and figured out how the hell I was going to purify him.

"_Fuck_," Inuyasha spat, flying sideways across the room and landing on the couch in the corner. The whole frame rocked into the wall, the vibrations pushing me forward and kicking Ose's side.

"You came to ask me something," the president said smugly, whipping around and latching his hand around my throat. I had about ten seconds before dizziness would take over. I struggled, nails clawing at his hands while I pushed my leg into his stomach and stomped on his kneecap with the other. The move wasn't the best idea, and the loss of his hands on me had me stumbling backwards into the wall.

Inuyasha was suddenly in front of me, crouching low before leaping into Ose. The president grabbed his hair, tugging him down but Inuyasha grabbed his shoulders for leverage and kneed him in the stomach. Ose was crouched over and I elbowed the base of neck with a swift thrust down. The president groaned, the sound rumbling into a growl as I reached around his chest for his heart.

And then the wind was knocked out me. I was lying on the floor, face-to-face with demonic red eyes. I tried to punch him, recoiling with his block before holding up my arms to defend myself. Inuyasha was silent and nowhere near me, and I couldn't see anything past Ose's crimson orbs. He punched me, three or four times with only the first one making any facial contact. I struggled with my feet to scramble up, to cling to anything and fight back.

"You want to know about Onigumo," Ose whispered, hands clutching my wrists and breaking the shield for my face. "You don't have a clue what's going on and Heaven hasn't been too helpful, has it?"

"Spare me," I snapped, arching my body and trying to kick him. His weight was there though, preventing any movement and I had a sick feeling in my stomach. Ose looked more than pleased straddling my body, which was more than just a little awkward. Not only was he a demon, but he was pretending to be a human twice my age and looking _every day _of it.

Maybe it wasn't the best time for thinking shallow thoughts.

My hands were being held, so nothing could be done there. My legs were moveable but had virtually no range with him on top of me. My head was free though, but he'd need to get close enough to do anything for that. I gritted my teeth, trying to sit up and pull my arms free from his grip.

Ose smiled and let go of my one hand, punching my face and whipping my head to the side. I didn't even have time to manoeuvre before his hand was back onto my wrist, pressuring it down into the floor. "I find it an unlikely coincidence that you're here when you're trying to find Onigumo. And let's face it, I am the one with all divine knowledge." He smirked at that, once more letting go of my hands. This time I gagged for breath when his rough palms encircled my neck, strangling me.

Where the hell is Inuyasha? I didn't even come here for Ose's advice. I wasn't the one that even _found _this case – Inuyasha did. It's not like he even knew he was here either, considering I was the one that figured out it was the president of Hell causing trouble in Stillwater. While I didn't particularly believe in coincidences, this one had to be.

"Question," I wheezed, hands flailing to rip his own off my neck.

Ose tilted his head, loosening his grip on my neck.

"Where is he?" It was the only question I could think of in such short notice. If Ose was the one to go to for secret but divine information, I might as well use it if he was offering.

The president shrugged. "Onigumo is human and therefore not divine. I don't know anything about him. Strike one."

I turned my head and saw Inuyasha on the floor by the couch. There was blood on the hardwood and his eyes were shut. _Shit_. This was not the plan. "Does Onigumo have the Shikon No Tama?"

Ose rolled his eyes. "The question was based on Onigumo so the question is irrelevant. Strike Two."

I needed a plan, and fast. I licked my lips, watching his gaze follow my movements. "I have one more question?"

Shrugging, he experimentally pushed his thumbs into my throat, closing my air supply.

"Who has the Shikon no Tama?"

Ose's face went blank, red eyes focused on me. "Finally, on an actual divine subject. The human Onigumo has it, although he won't be human for long."

And then pain, sharp and fast came over my body. His hands were tight and relentless on my neck, and I vaguely wondered why he would even bother to give me answers to my questions when I was going to be dead soon anyways.

Well, not if I can help it.

As he strangled me he was leaning forward, putting all his weight and effort into choking me. Instead of clawing at his hands, I shakily moved my palm towards his chest, planting it on his heart and finding the strings to purify his black heart.

Ose jerked, hands momentarily loose and I took the advantage I gained by spreading my legs and flipping us over. It didn't really work, the move leaving both of us more or less sideways but it was enough for me to get out of the way. I kicked him while he was down, narrowly avoiding his gasp on my ankle.

"Inuyasha!" I yelled, hoping to stir him to consciousness. If I was going to escape, I sure as hell wasn't leaving him here and I doubted that I could carry him all the way to the car without being caught first. "Inuyasha, wake up!"

Ose was standing, lunging for my throat but I blocked his attack and roundhouse kicked him to the chest. His body slammed against the wall, his head cracking against the drywall and for a moment, his true form flickered. There was just the quick glance or tan fur and long tail before he was standing again, braced against the wall.

I pulled out my gun, having the ability to grab it for the first time since the fight. With all the throwing around my body was put through, there were definitely going to be bruises from the silver weapon. I shot him, the silencer letting out three sneezes as the holes punctured his chest and shoulder. Black blood smeared against the light-coloured walls and Ose smirked at me.

"You can't kill me," he said simply, which was a strange image with all the blood pouring from his system.

I put the gun away and took the few steps I needed to get close and punch him, throwing him into the wall. He was smiling at me still, even as I punched him again and again until my hand was aching with the abuse. I slammed my hand to his heart, feeling the connection, the loud and uneven beat of the demon's heart.

"Go on and kill another human," Ose hissed, leaning forwards uncomfortably to hiss in my ear. "They say the first kill is empowering. Did Hojo give you that?"

I couldn't help the jerk, the strong tug on my soul. I couldn't save Hojo. I _had _to kill him or have that fucking Egyptian demon Ammit have his way with killing innocents. I had no choice. I turned my head to see him straight on, seeing the potent red eyes glaring at me. Slowly he raised his hand and turned his wrist, showing off a symbol that was scratched into the skin. I examined the loops in his skin, the intricate design making my stomach clench.

He was bound to a human – not possessing them, just connecting with them.

I could still kill him; the binding spell might not work that way. Still, could I take the chance of murdering another human being to destroy him?

The question was taken from me when Ose raised his eyebrows and then was suddenly gone.

"_Shit_," I cursed, desperately listening to the radar in my head. It was dead silent and while I was relieved to know we were safe, I didn't feel any better for letting him go. Turning around, I sprinted over to Inuyasha, sliding onto my knees in front of him. His head was cut, a long slice down the left side of his face and just barely missing his eye. It was already mostly healed, the wound just pink and raw as the skin reattached. His breaths were long and deep, his chest rising and falling steadily. "Inuyasha," I whispered, putting my hands on him and feeling around for any broken bones. When I felt none, I shook him a little, repeating his name.

"Fucking wench, leave m'alone," he grumbled and I sighed in relief. At least I wouldn't have to carry him. I wasn't even sure if I could make it out of the building.

"Hey you, wake up. Come on, we have to get out of here before anyone gets suspicious." I shook his again, brushing the bangs off his forehead with my other hand. "We have to go."

There was another long string of curses before Inuyasha finally tilted his head up, looking around the room with unseeing eyes. "He gone? Did you kill him?"

"No," I whispered. I wasn't about to tell him that I _could _have killed him, stopping because I was worried I might kill a human in the process. Inuyasha wouldn't really understand. "But he disappeared and we need to get out of here."

Slowly Inuyasha got to his feet. His clawed hands ran through his long black locks, frowning when they knotted and tugged. "Where do we go?"

"Whatever motel we can find," I answered, reaching out to help but stopping at the last moment. "Can you open the window?"

Inuyasha nodded and got to work, a little unsteady on his feet but still easily able to open the window with the cracking of complaints from the frame. We escaped quickly and quietly, heading back to my car and driving off as fast as we could.

The closest place we could find was literally a two minute drive a couple blocks away. It was a small bed and breakfast, and while I usually didn't like bothering couples with my bruised face and bloodstained clothing, I was kind of desperate to get away. The house was more than a little charming, with yellow paint and red trim. It wasn't isolated but wasn't in the middle of anything big either, which was the most ideal place.

I pulled down the personal mirror in the car and I cringed at the sight of me. There was blood from my nose around my face and yellow-like patched that I knew would be full out bruises later on. Getting a Kleenex from the glove compartment, I wiped away the blood and fixed the smeared makeup on my face. I was still only semi-presentable, but I could blame it on a long drive or something as equally lame.

"Clean up so you don't terrify them," I said with a half-smile, gesturing towards the blood on his face and neck. "I'd rather not have them think we're serial killers or something."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes but did what he was told anyways. Just for that, I refrained from saying 'good boy'.

It was called the Brooktown Inn. Part of me sneered at the paint job and dollhouse look the place had. The other part wished I could live in a house like that – yellow paint and all. It really was cute. It kind of had character.

I really needed some sleep. There was definitely a pulsing headache coming on.

The couple that lived there was sweet, smiling at me politely and only sharing worried glances once or twice. I explained that my friend and I needed a place to stay since we were driving through. We were both just far too exhausted to keep driving.

"In that thing?" the older gentleman asked, pointing at my Corvette. "I don't know how you could get tired of being in that."

I laughed lightly. "It's been a really long drive."

I told them that I'd pay upfront cash and that they didn't need to worry about feeding us. We just wanted to sleep and relax off the road. When their worried looks changed into concern I knew I had them, and smiled politely as I thanked them and walked back to the car.

Inuyasha was already getting out as I nodded at him, prying open the trunk seconds later and removing our duffel bags of clothes. The couple led us into a large, spacious bedroom with a massive king-sized bed in it.

"Do you happen to have a room with two beds?" I asked, gazing at the bed and then back at Inuyasha. The idea of sharing a bed with him was definitely appealing but then again, that's a good reason right there that I _shouldn't_. Did I tell them that we were _friends_? I didn't tell them 'my boyfriend and I need a place to stay'. It was specifically friend.

"Oh," the woman said, frowning a little. "Sorry, we normally don't have guests that want two beds. We can set up a room for you if you'd like. It'd only be a few minutes."

...But I wanted a bed right _now_. Yes, I was being childish. No, I definitely wouldn't say that out loud. "No, it's fine," I said, smiling at her and thanking her.

The moment the door closed, Inuyasha glared at me. "You're totally a cover hog."

Rolling my eyes, I threw my duffel on the bed and started to ruffle through it for the medical kit. "How would you even know?"

"I can just tell," Inuyasha replied, grumbling more words I couldn't quite catch.

It was already pretty late and while I was starving for dinner I didn't feel like going out for food. Giving Inuyasha some money, I sighed and looked at his face. "Give me a minute to take care of that cut and then you can go run around with super demon speed and buy us pizza."

Inuyasha stared at me in shock. "Huh?"

Ignoring the idiotic look, I grabbed the antiseptic out of the first aid kit and wiped around the cut. It was pretty pointless considering it had more or less fully healed, but I felt better doing it anyways. "Go get us pizza or something. I like pretty much any toppings. Oh, but no pineapple. I'll shoot you if there's pineapple."

Inuyasha blinked, looking at the door to our bedroom before returning to my face. "This isn't some sort of 'go fetch' joke is it?"

"No, this is me being really hungry and lazy and asking you to pretty please go get pizza." I smiled at him, trying to look all innocent and irresistible. I'm positive it didn't work but he left anyways.

And when he came back with two extra large pizzas in hand, I ruffled his hair. "Good boy."

Inuyasha didn't talk to me for the rest of the night.

...He barely talked to me the next morning, when he was snoring like a goddamn chain saw in my ear with his stupidly large hand across my face.

"Inuyasha?" I poked his side repeatedly, saying his name like a mantra until the half-demon opened an eye.

"What wench?"

"Remove your hand before I cut it off."

Inuyasha swore at me before rolling over. That was the extent of our awesome conversation.

It wasn't until hours later, when I had been online for over an hour researching Ose and all his demonic history, that Inuyasha came and sat beside me on the bed.

"Are we going to stay in bed all day or what?"

I rolled my eyes at him. "I'm trying to figure out where he's going to be." I clicked open a new website, scrolling down briefly before giving up and returning to the search engine. "Are you talking to me now?"

Inuyasha scoffed, crossing his arms. For a moment, I thought he was going to pretend that he never ignored me. Finally the half-demon pouted. "I'm bored."

"Then go talk to the friendly owners," I encouraged, gesturing with my head to the door without taking my eyes off the screen. "I'm looking for this goddamn binding symbol, but I can't find any information on it. It's pissing me off."

"Binding symbol?" Inuyasha asked, looking at me expectantly.

I smiled. "Oh, that's right. I would've told you but you were too busy ignoring me. When Ose and I were fighting I caught a glimpse of this binding symbol on his arm. I'm trying to figure out a way to break it."

"And why's that?"

"Because Ose is like Genie from Aladdin. When he's conjured, whoever beckons him can ask for any person to start acting like a king, or a pope. They start to go insane. Reality blurs and eventually someone gets pissed off and kills them or they think they're invincible and kill themselves. Someone contracted for Kinka to act like that. Whoever Ose is bound to must be the one to decide it, but I don't think I can kill one without the other."

"But whoever is bound to Ose, he's the one that wanted Kinka dead, right?" Inuyasha asked. "Why does it matter whether he's dead or not? He's a murderer."

I was silent for awhile, thinking. The person that did conjure Ose was a murderer, plain and simple. Still. I shot Hojo, knowing it would kill him. I didn't do it for the wrong reasons, but it doesn't mean that that's right. "I can't make that call," I answered finally, hating how small my voice sounded.

Inuyasha didn't push the subject, but I knew he was picking up on my train of thought. "Who would want Kinka dead?" he mused, tapping his hands on the mattress.

I thought about it, feeling my brain hurt at the idea of more thinking. All I had been doing all morning was _thinking_. "Who would know about Kinka's enemies?"

Inuyasha just smirked.

* * *

So now we're back _here_. You know, the part where I'm dragging Inuyasha's ass out of a shrub and telling him to hurry up. It turns out that when we went to Kinka's brother's house that we were definitely in the right place.

Ginka was the one who was bound to Ose. The markings, while not on his wrists like Ose, were actually on his shoulder. We didn't find out though until Ose jumped me from behind, flying me across the hall and further into the house.

From there it had been a warzone. Inuyasha was fighting Ose with everything he had. Glass was shattered and broken, tables turned and drywall cracked. Ginka was getting pissed, screaming at Ose to make Inuyasha suffer.

So Inuyasha is under the delusion that he is a king.

"Servant, I command you to stop."

You see my problem.

"We are not stopping Inuyasha," I growled, pulling on his shirt and dragging him hard. "We need to get out of here. Come on, get over this fence."

We had barely made it out of Ginka's house alive. In the end I threw a chair into the window, shattering the glass and grabbing onto Inuyasha while he clumsily..._fell_ out. Apparently as a king, he no longer has to jump anywhere.

As his loyal servant, it's my job.

Who knew he'd be a bigger bastard now?

The only thing I could think of was to run as far and as fast away as possible. The car was parked a block away, and if I hurried I might be able to make it there before Ose got the idea to damage it. We hopped along, continuing through a few backyards and climbing over fences when necessary. The whole area was a subdivision, and people obviously didn't like each other because most backyards were surrounded by seven foot fences.

"Let's go, Inuyasha!" I urged, shoving him right before I sprinted to the next fence. I gracefully grabbed the top and manoeuvred myself over.

The moment I landed on the other side, I knew something was wrong.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beeeeep._

The radar was going off in my head again, a steady rhythm as I did a full three-sixty around the backyard. Ose couldn't be here, _shit shit shit._ I still had Inuyasha to take care of and he obviously wasn't going to do anything to save me.

And then I heard a scream, so loud and piercing I knew instantly what it was. Someone was dying, and it was coming from the house the backyard belonged to. Instinct had me running towards the house, the beeping in my head getting stronger and louder and longer. The back door was open and I slid inside without the preamble to be silent. If someone was dying I didn't have much time.

The woman was on the floor, bleeding out from her stomach with her unfocused eyes staring at the ceiling. I was too late.

The beeping was still there though, insistent and punishing and I lowered my stance, listening for anything. The first sound was like the rustle of leaves as the wind picked up. All I heard was a slight shifting, the sound of feet hitting tiled flooring. This definitely wasn't Ose.

Who the fuck was it now?

"Come out here you little bastard!" I yelled, still straining to hear anything. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

More rustling. More feet running on tile. I paused, stepping carefully over the bloodied woman before doing another three-sixty around my location. There were several doorways – any one of them could be holding the demon responsible. I tried to find an area that was better, less vulnerable from random attacks. I was in a situation I knew nothing about. I had no history on the demon, no idea what it wanted.

"For a demon, you sure are scared," I taunted, smirking despite the fact I didn't really feel like it.

"You see, that's your problem," a female voice purred, so close to me I nearly jumped. I whirled around, hands at the ready to fight but all I felt was the wind. There was a giggle, coming from one of the rooms on the right. The beeping was so loud I was like a constant high-pitched hum. "There's more than one demon here. You're just a tad bit outnumbered."

I had to hold back the instant drop of my stomach, the adrenaline that started pumping so hard and so fast through my body. "What do you want?"

And then, _there._ A tall man with lean muscle and broad arms was standing in the doorway, his blue eyes staring at me. He was mimicking a human, I could tell from the way he wasn't fully transformed. His fangs were sitting on top of his lip, a smirk in place as he shook his head. His brown, tied-up hair was longer than mine. "Damn demon slayers, ruining all the fun," the male said, grinning at me and looking at me like I was dinner. "Hey Ayame, want to have some fun?"

A female was instantly behind him, her hand on his shoulder. "Why don't we just get out of here? We have company."

The man smiled. "Fair enough."

And then they were gone.

And I'm standing here wondering _WHAT THE FUCK?_

This is...really...off-the-charts...weird.

And I just want to go to bed, huddle under the blankets and never ever come out.

The crack of wood made me turn, the sound of stomping feet coming closer and closer. I couldn't help but think what the hell was happening now.

"Police! Put your hands in the air! Get your hands in the air!"

Ah. So that's what they meant by company. Someone had called the cops and now I'm stuck standing over a dead bleeding body with no alibi other than the fact I'm chasing the president of Hell.

"I'll _BEHEAD _you!"

And yup, that's Inuyasha.

This just keeps getting better.

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**I hope the chapter was good enough for you to forgive my (probable plentiful) mistakes.**

**I love feedback (but don't tell me to update "faster" since I will probably bitch because hey, I need to vent sometime yeah? Best to not be you).**

**That said, thank you guys for being so wickedly amazing!**


	21. All the King's Men

**It's safe to say that not much of my new chapters will be edited before posting. Just to warn you.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

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**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-One: All the King's Men

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"_Run and tell all the angels, this could take all night. Think I need a devil to help me get things right. Hook me up a new revolution 'cause this one is a lie. We sat around laughing and watched the last one die."_

_-Learn To Fly, The Foo Fighters

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"Put your hands behind your head! Turn around!"

When I woke up this morning, I definitely didn't think this was how my day would go. I woke up, determined that Kinka had been killed by another human, went to his brother to figure out _who_ his enemies had been, found out that it was indeed _the brother _Ginka who killed Kinka and then got our asses kicked by the president of Hell. And then, as we ran away, Inuyasha was cursed with the idea that he was a king, he keeps telling me that I'll soon not have a head, a human was killed just a few feet away from me by two random demons I have no fucking clue about and then they left me just before the cops burst in.

_Breathe._

This was _so_ not what I had in mind.

"You don't understand," I said calmly, evenly. My hands were laced behind my head but I made no move to turn around. My _gun_ was back there. Since I just recently shot bullets yesterday, gun residue was probably still buried in my nail beds and the clip isn't loaded and...oh dear.

"Wench! How dare you leave my side! I shall have you clean my quarters tonight."

While that sounded slightly sexual and entirely creepy, I couldn't help but feel relieved my half-demon companion was there. And then I realized: oh shit, he's delusional. Great.

"Dog boy, _not now_," I hissed, turning my head slightly to see behind me. Inuyasha was just standing there, arms crossed and looking more than a little smug.

"I said turn around!" the cop yelled, taking a single step closer. "And you, put your hands up!"

I _really_ couldn't turn around. "Officer, please, I just heard the scream and came running. I found her like this!" I said desperately, hoping to convey something the cops would give me a break on. Still, I don't think that they're going to just let me go either. They would have to be really stupid cops to trust me.

"Shut up! Turn around," the cops barked, guns raised and trained on both myself and Inuyasha.

"How _dare _you talk to me in such a tone!" Inuyasha exclaimed, frowning deeply. At least the smug expression was now gone. "For that, I shall kill you."

"No, don't _kill_ them," I hissed, glaring at the half-demon. "Just get us out of here."

Suddenly a shot rang out. I looked to where Inuyasha was, noticing he was gone. The cops were yelling, more of them bursting in and I made the quick decision to withdraw my gun and roll backwards over the countertop. When I landed on the other side with a very loud _thump_, I realized it probably wasn't the best plan.

Two more shots had me looking for an exit. I could see movement outside the door – more cops had arrived on scene. _Fuck_. "Inuyasha!" I screamed, keeping low and crawling my way over into the other room. Maybe there was a window or a door–

And then there was a tightening on my waist, two arms encircling me and hauling me up so fast my head jerked at the whiplash. Suddenly we were flying in the air, debris scattering around us. It only took one horrifying moment for me to realize that Inuyasha had just punched a hole in the ceiling and we were a good couple hundred feet in the air.

Holy. Shit.

"_WHAT THE FUCK?"_ I screamed, flailing with my arms for some sort of purchase. Inuyasha was laughing maniacally above me and that _did not_ reassure me in any way, shape or form. Oh my god. I was going to die. "_Inuyasha!"_

Yes, that was a squeak. Ask me later and I'll deny it. Right now? I'm pretty sure I won't live to get that right.

Like everything, what goes up must come down. And we were going down – _fast_.

"Oh my god! Oh my god! Ohmygod! Ohmygod!" The ground was getting closer and closer and I was still falling and Inuyasha was fucking _laughing_. And I was going to die a horrible, splattering death. Wait, was that my car? Oh my god, don't let me splatter on top of my own car. Let someone enjoy it, dear holy mother don't kill the shiny Corvette! Impact any second now–

...We landed.

Rather softly actually.

"Wench," Inuyasha chuckled, forcefully standing me up now that we were on solid ground. Only, I'm pretty sure my legs aren't working. I clutched at his shoulders, opening my mouth to tell him not to let go when he does.

Predictably, I fall.

Rolling his eyes, Inuyasha continued without even offering to help me up. "As my servant, you are to serve me alone. When a situation like that arises, all you must do is let them know you're with me. As King, they will understand."

Huh. The grass was rather soft. The world wasn't spinning so that's a good sign. Inuyasha is insane, which totally isn't but I'll take what I can get right now. "Get in the car."

"Wench, know your place. I shall do what I choose."

I reached around for my gun, noticing that it was on the ground by my face. I picked it up, examined the shininess of it before aiming it at Inuyasha. "Get in the car."

Inuyasha pouted. "But I'm _King!_"

Yeah, that was going to get real old, real fast.

* * *

It took four rings before Sango picked up. "Kagome, what's up?"

How to explain? "Do you want the good news, the bad news, the really bad news, the really really bad news or the really really really bad news?"

"Let's go step-by-step, shall we?" Sango sounded tired and I almost felt bad for calling her during what was probably their rush hour at Boomerang's. That is, I felt bad until I heard Miroku's giggle in the background and knew, without a doubt, _why_ she was so tired. Just peachy. "What's the bad news?"

"I'm in Stillwater, Minnesota and that cops are after me," I said with a sigh.

"Why's that?"

"Because I was found hovering over the dead body of some woman that had just recently been killed by demons."

"Is that the really bad news?"

"Um, not exactly," I said, trying to remember which bad news was which. "The really bad news is that there are two demons in Stillwater that are killing people. They killed the woman I was found with when the cops burst in."

Sango paused for a moment. I tried not to let my brain process any farther than she was probably just thinking. "Then just kill them. Isn't Inuyasha there with you? He should be able to help. Didn't you take on that entire group of Lilliths awhile back?"

"Yeah but the really really bad news is that I'm not only chasing after these demons. I didn't even know they were there until a few hours ago. The reason I'm here is because I'm after the president of Hell, Ose."

"That would be really really bad news," Sango replied, sounding worried. There was another pause. "Wasn't there more bad news?"

"Oh yeah," I went on easily, like it was nothing. "Inuyasha, my backup? He's delusional. Ose cursed him into thinking he's a king, so now he just traipses around ordering me to do shit for him. His judgement isn't exactly sound as of right now."

"Ah, I see."

I really don't think she did. "I need you to come down here and help me," I said finally, sighing and sinking down into the large king bed. Inuyasha was in the shower, pissed off because I didn't listen to him when he ordered me to "de-robe him" and "cleanse him". Seriously? No. "I'm on my own taking care of Inuyasha, dealing with two demons, the president of Hell and I need to hide out because the cops are after me." I'm not sure if I could make it any clearer. "I _need _your help."

"We'll be there as soon as we can," Sango said immediately and I smiled in relief. "We'll have Kirara close and take care of things here. It's still a long drive though, so we won't be there until the 30th. Can you hold down that long?"

I bit my lip, thinking of dealing with everything for two days on my own. We could lie low; maybe find a way to break the spell on Inuyasha. If we could hunt around town for a bit of information or any leads that would help.

"Wench! Come dry me!"

Or maybe not.

"Please just hurry," I practically whimpered. I knew it was at least a day's drive with decent traffic. Considering they were going to have to stop at least three times a day, I would be lucky if they made it here by the 31st.

Oh shit.

"Sango," I hissed, going through the calendar in my mind. "Please, _please, _tell me it's not October." My friend knew what I was insinuating and the lack of response was evidence enough for my ears. "Damn," I cursed. Halloween: demon's favourite play date with humans everywhere. This was not getting any better.

"Wench! I command you to come!"

"SHUT UP!" I yelled, exasperated before returning to the phone. "I'll see you soon, okay? Drive safe."

"_Be _safe," Sango warned me. "We'll be there soon."

With the call ended, I threw my cell phone somewhere on the night stand and closed my eyes. It could just be the stress, but the fast food we picked up on our way back to the Brooktown Inn wasn't sitting too well in my stomach. Rolling out of bed, I quickly got changed into my pyjamas and snuggled under the covers. While I doubted I would get any decent sleep, there was nothing else I felt more like doing.

"Wench?" Inuyasha whispered, peeking his head through the door. "I didn't say you could sleep."

"Didn't you?" I shut my eyes tighter and prayed he would shut up for once. A kingly Inuyasha was an annoying one. He talked way too much for his own good. If I were his people, I would have long ago sent him to the guillotine.

Inuyasha seemed to mumble something under his breath but soon the ruffle of fabric reached my ears and the light to the bedroom was turned off. The mattress dipped when Inuyasha crawled in, his body hiding under the covers. "I have an issue," he said finally.

Well shit. "What?" I snapped, keeping my eyes shut. I refused to open them for him.

"Well as a king, I should sleep on a king-sized bed."

"You are," I replied curtly.

Inuyasha nodded and I felt the mattress bounce slightly as he did. "True but you're in it, which shortens the width of the mattress for me which, in turn, makes it not a king-sized bed, which, in turn, displeases me."

"Are you suggesting I sleep on the floor?"

"Unless you do something of use to me then yes, I command you to sleep on the floor. As your king, I demand it."

Enough. Was. Enough. Grabbing the gun that was wedged between the mattress and the nightstand, I flicked off the safety and rolled over to come face-to-face with Inuyasha. Sure, he was extremely close. And yes, with his wet black hair covering his golden eyes he looked delicious. And no, I would be lying if I said I wasn't remotely attracted. But he was being a brat. I pointed the gun at his head and stared him down.

"I'm your _king_," he huffed, indignant.

"And this, your highness, is a mutiny. Now _go to sleep_ and _stop talking_."

The fact that neither of us rolled away from each other didn't remotely bother me. It should have but it didn't.

* * *

Two things plagued me when I woke up: one, Inuyasha was snoring loudly and two, Inuyasha was snoring loudly _in my ear_. That meant that he was inches away from me and _shit_, was I _sleeping _on him?

I lifted my head, squinting at...lips? Blinking, I tried to get a hold of my situation. My head was warm, my chin relaxing on...bare chest. Inuyasha's eyes were closed and his head was tipped back on the pillow with his mouth open, letting out the most horrible, garbled roars ever. There was a heat on my shoulder, his hand resting there and tangling with my hair.

Huh.

I'm going back to sleep.

* * *

Why is it so _hot_ in here?

Bloody hell, what the fuck is on top of me?

I peeked open an eye, staring in confusion when I saw tons of black hair and a clawed hand somewhat on top of my face.

This was...probably not the best position to wake up in.

Pushing up with my hands, I realized I was trapped underneath bulking muscle. I wasn't going anywhere any time soon. "Inuyasha?" I murmured, somewhat groggily. There was no response. "Inuyasha get up!"

No movement. No grumble. Not even a snore in retaliation.

I'm going back to sleep.

* * *

"Well my star, aren't you in a fairly interesting predicament?"

Consciousness came to me slowly; tugging on the darkness as I grudgingly opened an eye. Who the _hell_ wad disturbing the first good sleep I've had in a long while? And why was it so hard to breathe? Turning my head was nearly impossible, and I felt hot breath tickle my neck as I inched away. "Who the hell–"

"You forgot my name? I'm hurt," the man said, coming closer so that I could see him from my position. My body tensed, muscles going rigid the moment I realized who it was even through my sleep-slow haze. "Now, I'd tell you that humans and demons mixing is never a good thing but..._so cute_."

"Inuyasha!" I hissed, as loud as I could without making the owners of the Brooktown Inn suspicious or worried. The last thing I needed were two innocent people walking in on me, trapped in bed with a half-demon and conversing with the duke of Hell. Somehow, I just don't see that going over very well. "Inuyasha wake up!" I managed to roll a bit, elbowing the half-demon as hard as I possibly could while I scrambled out of bed, facing Astaroth.

"Wha–" Inuyasha rolled onto his back, peering around and blinking. "Slave?"

Astaroth raised a brow at me, pointing at Inuyasha with a smirk. "That's kinky."

"Demon," Inuyasha hissed, crawling haphazardly off the bed and standing beside me. "What the hell do you want?"

"You're kind of _sucking_ at being a guard dog," Astaroth commented dryly, rolling his eyes. "I was watching your pretty _slave_ for quite a while before any of you got up." Turning to face me, the smile thinned out. "Did you know you murmur exorcisms in your sleep? It's not attractive."

It's way too early for me to wake up, never mind too early to process this sort of situation. "Why are you here?" I asked, clenching my fists and getting ready to fight. "Isn't it enough that there are _three_ demons I need to kill?"

"You like me too much to kill me," Astaroth replied, nodding as if to confirm it with himself. "I'm here with a message."

"Take your message and shove it up your ass," Inuyasha snarled, stepping forward. His voice was low and rumbling from sleep, husky with the roughness. He hesitated for a moment, stepping in front of me and growling. "As king, I command it."

Astaroth rolled his eyes. "You too, huh? If you're going to attack me–"

Inuyasha plunged forward, claws outstretched as he went for the demon's face. Astaroth merely waved his hand, sending Inuyasha flying into the wall and forcing the hung up paintings to crash to the floor.

"Shit, come on!" I exclaimed, starting to run forward when suddenly I was frozen, mid-step and partially airborne.

Crap. Crap crap crap crap crap.

"Star, you don't shine real well in the morning, do you? All I need to do is give you a message and then I'll be on my way." Astaroth smiled with a gleam in his eye, stepping closer and closer to me. I struggled to me, cursing and pushing with every effort I had. His powers were holding me in place and I looked up at him defiantly when he was only inches away.

"I command you to get _away from the wench!_" Inuyasha barked, growling loudly from his stuck position against the wall.

The duke of Hell merely rolled his eyes again. "Listen to me closely my star, you need to hurry and find Onigumo. Asking the president will get you nowhere, as Ose has other...duties to attend to."

"Killing people, you mean?" I spat. "Building up his demon army by making deals with humans and tainting their souls with evil?"

"Sure, that," Astaroth replied breezily. "Just don't waste your time."

I wanted to hit something, someone, _anyone_. If I could just damn well move– "I have _nothing_ in the way of leads, first of all," I hissed. "Secondly, your darling president cursed my partner and I cannot deal with him like this!"

"Wench, shut your mouth or I will punish you later!"

Astaroth raised a brow. "You never know, he could be the kinky sorts and it's not what you think."

"_Fuck_ off! I've got enough shit to deal with and I don't have a choice but to go after Ose. If nothing else but to cure that idiot of a half-demon," I said, taking deep breaths. "Why do you want me to find Onigumo so fast anyways? You're sure not helping, other than to pressure me and give me vague, unhelpful hints."

"The Shikon No Tama must be destroyed," Astaroth said carefully, his red demonic eyes piercing my own. "Onigumo is a way to find it. Time is running out. Aamon told you that, didn't he?"

I had to think about it for a moment, finally remembering the demon that served Astaroth and his twisted ways. He was the one that went through my mind and told me of my future – or rather, one of them. "All he said was that I needed to find Onigumo. I don't know where to even start with that shit."

"And I bet your little angel friend hasn't even shown up, has she?" Astaroth murmured, sad and pitiful as he ran his hands through my hair to soothe it. Inuyasha was snarling wildly in the background and I locked eyes with him, watching something in those golden orbs. "Well, never mind my star," the duke of Hell said brightly after a while. "Just go find him and we'll be just peachy."

Waving at us, Astaroth walked to Inuyasha and smirked. "Down boy," he cooed, waggling his fingers before disappearing into thin air. Finally we could move, and I stumbled as I regained my balance against the bed.

"This is an _atrocity!_" Inuyasha roared, standing up and seething. "How _dare _that _scoundrel_–"

"Inuyasha," I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Your vocabulary is pathetic."

"I'll behead you."

Before I could pull out my gun again and threaten to shoot him there was a soft knock at the door, followed by a woman's voice. "Ms. Ohta? Are you alright in there? We heard some banging."

Making a cut-throat motion with my hand, I glared at Inuyasha into silence before I walked over to the door and opened it up. The woman who owned the place was smiling, but worry showed in her eyes and she was nervously trying to peer into the doorway. "I'm _so _sorry about that," I said as sincerely as I could. "My stupid friend is like a zombie when he wakes up. I swear, he tripped over the rug and just landed into the wall. There's no damage and he's okay, just shaking it off."

"Oh, are you sure? Do you need aspirin or anything?" the woman asked, the tension draining.

"No thank you, but that's nice of you," I replied, smiling once more until she turned around and headed towards the main room.

Shutting the door, I faced Inuyasha and crossed my arms. "First, we need to lay out some ground rules."

Inuyasha growled, mimicking me and crossing his own arms. "I am _king_ you forget. I make the rules."

I sighed. I didn't want to get to this point again. Heading towards the nightstand, I frowned when the gun wasn't where I last left it. "Inuyasha," I said slowly, turning around and facing a gleeful...cursed...half-demon.

Fuck.

"I have your gun. I have your gun..." Inuyasha cooed in a singsong voice, traipsing around the room and waving it in the air. "Now, as king, you shall bow before me and call me master."

"Dog boy, I'm giving you until five to give me back the gun," I warned, taking a step closer. "Put it down before you hurt someone with it."

"I am a king. Not a five year-old. I could behead you for that."

"SHUT UP WITH THE BEHEADING!" I screamed, launching at him and tackling him to the floor. I was lucky he didn't actually have any intention of killing me or I would be dead. The gun clattered across the room on the hardwood floor, landing just at the corner of the rug.

Inuyasha was blinking furiously from smashing his head against the floor. "Did you just...jump me?"

I cringed. That was a terrible way of saying it. His vocabulary really needed work. "If you want to look at it that way."

Suddenly, Inuyasha's golden eyes gleamed and I was flat on my back, mind spinning with how fast events had turned. "Ha. I've got you now wench." He tilted his head, his long black hair tickling my cheek from where it brushed. "For a wench, you're not bad looking. I could whore you out."

That was...disturbing. "I really need to fix you."

The half-demon was silent, looking at me unnervingly until he was slowly, purposefully, leaning down towards me. I waited frozen, frowning and when I realized what was actually happening I panicked. The lightest brush of lips and I was in action, propelling my body at an angle so that my knee could knock him directly in the spine. Inuyasha fell with the blow, his lips harder on mine and I had to rip myself away to roll him over.

Panting, I sat up and trying to erase the last five seconds. Memory was a bitch like that though.

Inuyasha huffed. "Refusing a king is grounds for–"

"Beheading," I mumbled, standing up stiffly before offering Inuyasha a hand. "Yeah, I get it."

Inuyasha scowled but didn't say anything more.

* * *

"So wench, what are we doing?" Inuyasha asked, tapping his long, clawed nailed on the door handle in the car. "Are we doing peasant work?"

"If by peasant work you mean doing our jobs and trying to track down Ose so I can make you better, than yes. We are doing peasant work," I answered, driving into the main part of Stillwater. I wanted to check out Ginka's place again. If the idiotic human was bound to the president of Hell, I could tie him down and find some sort of tracking spell to find Ose's location. If Inuyasha wasn't being a large pain in the ass, I'd let him help me snoop around the building and find out the best way to corner the man.

The drive was mostly silent with Inuyasha's occasional self-murmuring as the only break. Normally I couldn't make out what he said – something along the lines of 'wenches' and 'beheading'. In my mind, I thought kings would be more wordy and elegant with their speech. Inuyasha just made me want to shoot him all the time because he basically said the same thing a million times, a hundred different ways. It was aggravating to the extreme.

"Do you see that?" Inuyasha asked, squinting out the front windshield.

I tried to see what he was seeing, but there were too many trees to make out anything. Unless the trees were what Inuyasha was talking about. "What is it?"

"The police," he answered, turning his attention towards me. "Pathetic humans and your sub-par eyesight."

"I have twenty-twenty vision, thanks," I replied, purposely not looking at him. Still, it wasn't until a few moments later when the blue and red flashing lights could be seen. Inuyasha was right. What wasn't so good was that I'm pretty sure that's where Ginka lives.

I rolled to a stop a few feet away from the large crowd that was gathered around house. Police officers were everywhere, trying to calm down the residents that were clearly worried. "Can you hear anything?" I asked, finally stealing a glance from the half-demon.

Rolling down the window, Inuyasha closed his eyes. I tried to remain absolutely quiet, evening out my breathing so that it would be as unobtrusive as possible. "There's a lot of damn racket," Inuyasha finally said, grumbling. "I can't make out that much other than noise." He hesitated for a moment, frowning. "Wait, go forward, around the crowd."

"Why?" I asked, pulling away from the curb anyways and doing what he said. "What's going on?"

Inuyasha resolutely ignored me, waiting until we passed the throng of onlookers before leaning out of the window. "You there! Good sir!"

Oh hell. I could see who he was talking to, a cop that was obviously just about to leave the scene. He was a younger guy, with cropped brown hair and rugged features. Clearly he'd been in one too many fights and his face paid the price. "Inuyasha, don't you dare–"

"Sir," the officer said, coming towards us only slightly. "This is an ongoing crime scene and with traffic the way it is, I need to ask you to continue along."

Inuyasha glared at him. "Do you know who I am?" he hissed, leaning out the window now.

The officer obviously wasn't about to answer. "Can you please continue forwards?"

I was about to let my foot off the brake when Inuyasha reached back without looking at me and grabbed my arm tightly. He was talking to the officer next, words low and unmistakeable. "Good sir, I am a king. I can tell by your stricken face that you're a brave knight. Please, I ask that you tell me the trouble the now." When the officer just stared at him incredulously, Inuyasha growled. "I command you."

The officer took a slow step forward, bending down to look at me. "Is he drunk?"

I nodded quickly, putting on a guilty expression. "I'm just trying to get him home now. He's been partying all night. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"I'm not drunk! I'm actually a king _goddammit!_" Inuyasha huffed dramatically and crossed his arms. "Damn wench."

"Is Ginka okay though?" I asked quickly, trying to distract the officer from Inuyasha's unbelievable antics. "I know that's his house. I just saw him the other day, I mean–"

"Miss, I can't disclose any information as of right now," the officer replied, straightening and turning his head abruptly as a car parked just ahead of us.

I followed his gaze and watched as people that could only be crime scene investigators got out. The officer just looked at me grimly and I nodded. "Sorry for your time," I said quietly, pulling out once more onto the street and this time not stopping for anything.

"I was handling it," Inuyasha grumbled, glaring daggers at the glove compartment. "You don't seem to think I'm a very good king or you wouldn't overrule my judgements."

I sighed, trying to process the new information and deal with Inuyasha's horrible behaviour. "Look, you're a fine king, okay? The kingdom is lucky to have you."

If Ginka was dead, that meant that Ose is no longer bound to him. If Ose is no longer bound to him then that means he's definitely gone.

"Wench, take me to get food. I command you."

I looked at Inuyasha in unreserved horror. If Ose is definitely gone, that means I'm definitely screwed – that means I'm _stuck with Inuyasha like this_.

"Hello? I commanded you? _Remember_?" Inuyasha asked, rolling his eyes at me.

Inuyasha was going to need all the men in his supposed kingdom to save him because shortly, I'm going to strangle him with own hands.

* * *

**Thank you for the amazing feedback. It's always appreciated to know what you think!**


	22. Night Skies

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Night Skies**

* * *

"_He said 'Son when you grow up, will you be the saviour of the broken, the beaten and the damned?' He said, 'Will you defeat them - your demons, and all the non-believers, the plans that they have made?'"_

_-Welcome to the Black Parade, My Chemical Romance_

* * *

"WENCH, I'll kill you if you don't untie me _right now_!"

I was going to kill him. Lord help me, I was going to kill that goddamn kingly half-demon.

"What are you doing with that knife? Wench, you do know that killing your king is...well bad."

I smirked, shrugging. "It's the only way."

We had returned from lunch after terrifying a poor woman when Inuyasha told her that '_didn't he say no mustard?'_ and '_I'll behead you_.' She called the cops and we took the burgers and ran. Inuyasha had pouted the whole way back, whining about how he hated mustard and that it was so unnaturally yellow that he was going to gag.

"Just eat it," I told him, glaring at him briefly before returning my eyes to the road. "And if you start to eat it in here you don't let it _touch_ anything in the car. You spill; you clean it over and over for a week."

Inuyasha gasped, looking at me in horror. "You did not just order your king around."

"I did," I admitted, nodding. "And I'm going to keep telling you what to do because you're starting to _piss me off_. I can't find out shit now that you're all _I'll behead you_ every five seconds. Did you know that people don't respond well to that shit?"

Scoffing, the half-demon waved at me. "As their king, they'll get over it soon enough."

"But you're not their king."

"HOW DARE YOU?" Inuyasha yelled, making a lunge for me to try and hit my face. I only managed to lessen the blow, the car swerving across the line before I could right it. "I am your king!"

And so, here we are, in another cheap motel room still in Stillwater. Inuyasha was currently tied to the chair after I lured him with lies about a royal massage or something as equally lame. Said half-demon was trying to make me explode with his evil glare and I looked at the knife, blasé.

"We need to come to an understanding," I said slowly, still not looking at him as I stepped closer. "You need to stop acting like a king and ordering people around so I can do my job and kill the huge load of demons here."

Inuyasha huffed. "Never."

I shrugged, raising the knife and my gaze to him. "Well, it sucks to be you."

There was something to the art of making someone so terrified that they would actually do what you want. Inuyasha was a half-demon, so scaring him had to have a little more effort than just the threat of death. He could survive under unreal conditions. What I needed was to scare him enough to make it work, to make him listen to me. I wasn't going to kill him – I wasn't even going to touch him. I just needed him to think I was going to.

It was all in the acting, and I was good at that.

The knife touched the ropes lightly, Inuyasha's slight intake of breath a sure sign that he was at least paying attention and that he thought my threat was real. "You need to think fast," I whispered, leaning down so my breath tickled his skin. "Or you're not going to be speaking as much as screaming."

Inuyasha's pants were coming in a little deeper. "But I'm your king and you _can't_ do this."

I sighed. Was his kingly brain really that shallow right now? "Does it look like I _can't_?" I asked, raising my brows in incredulousness. "Are you tied up right now?"

Inuyasha nodded slowly.

"Can you move?"

There was a flash in his eyes, something I couldn't decipher. It wasn't until I was knocked on my ass, knife still held tightly in hand with Inuyasha's chair crashing to the ground that I realized.

"Goddammit!" Inuyasha cursed, struggling against the ropes I had tied him with. "How did you tie these things, magically? I can't...fucking...move!"

Standing up, I brushed off imaginary dirt before making my way over. His chair was sideways, head resting at an awkward angle on the floor as he was held tightly by the ropes. "I'm not stupid, I know you're strong. I'm not going to make the ropes easy to get out of, obviously."

"Fuck you wench."

"Fuck you right back, dog boy," I replied, so close now that his face was inches away from my foot.

"I'm king."

"You won't be soon." Toying with the knife for just a moment longer, I bent down and lightly placed it on his throat. "I'll behead _you_ now."

"Oh come on, WAIT!" Inuyasha shouted, glaring at me with angry golden eyes.

"Hmm," I started, sounding bored. "Why would I wait? You took too long. Now–"

"WAIT!" Inuyasha shouted again, looking at me with wide eyes. "How about we come up with a compromise?"

The knife was barely touching the skin and I slowly withdrew it, trying to hide my smile. "Do you have an idea for this compromise?"

Nodding, Inuyasha winced. "Can I sit up?"

"I don't know," I murmured, pretending to contemplate. "Are you going to try something again, my _king_?"

"I won't," Inuyasha replied, sounding sincere.

Sighing, I put the knife down on a table far away before returning to help tilt the chair back up on its four legs. It took awhile – Inuyasha is fucking heavy – but eventually I put him down panting. "This better be good," I grumbled.

"Can you untie me?"

I looked at him sceptically. "No and even if I would've, couldn't you have asked _before_ I did all this work to get you up?"

Cringing, Inuyasha nodded meekly. "This would be far more appropriate with my hands free. It would be even better completely free. Please? It'll be my last kingly command."

_Last command huh?_ I hesitated. I knew Inuyasha wasn't going to attack me, he's not stupid. The reason I tied him up was because he was annoying, not evil. "Fine," I muttered, grumbling even more about how much easier it would've been if we did it in the first place. Grabbing the knife back, I slit the ropes and waited as Inuyasha slowly stood up and turned towards me.

"My compromise to you is..." Making a strange face, Inuyasha lowered himself on one knee and grabbed my hand. "Will you be my queen?"

Huh.

Inuyasha stared at me, golden eyes intent. Slowly his face morphed into one of worry as he stood up and snapped his fingers. "Wench? Hello, are you okay?"

...No, I don't think so. It's not every day I get proposed to. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that?" And no, my voice did not sound faint, thank you very much.

"I'm asking you to be my queen. Obviously I'll still be the one that makes the decisions but it'll get rid of the 'beheading' issue you seem to have." Inuyasha shrugged. "Many wenches would kill to be in your position," he whispered conspiratorially.

"Um, yeah," I muttered, trying to hold out on the sarcasm in my tone. "Yeah I–"

"Great, we shall marry tonight," Inuyasha cheered, standing up and brushing at his knees. "You should shower. You smell really good after a shower."

First of all, I was _not_ agreeing to be his queen. Not only is he delusional but...well he's delusional. My thought had been _Yeah I think we need to come up with something else._ Second of all, _I smelled good out of a shower?_ I asked him as much.

"Yeah, you smell like vanilla. It's that soap you use."

"You smell me when I get out of a shower," I stated, frowning.

Inuyasha shrugged. "Well, I'm allowed now to do that whenever I please and as my queen–"

I didn't want him to finish that thought. There was only so much I could take. "How about you shower first? Then I'll come in after you."

Inuyasha grinned. "See, you're already getting better. The king should always go first. If you're lucky, I'll let you come in."

I couldn't do much more than blink. The thought alone was..._ Don't you dare go there_. Right. Ahem. Moving on.

"Awesome," I murmured, pushing at his chest so that he'd head towards the bathroom. He was still smirking at me, his golden eyes piercing mine intently. I swear he's formulating some kind of plan. "Go on now and...enjoy!"

Disappearing into the bathroom, I waited for the click of the lock before running into action. Okay, let's think about this people: Inuyasha needs to go back to normal or else I'm getting married and I _refuse_ to get married to him like this – I mean, at all. Who is strong enough to reverse the powers that Ose put on him? Astaroth was the first name that came to mind, but he's a subordinate and I doubted he'd do it anyways. What's greater than a demon in power?

I sat down on the bed, hiding my face in my hands. I couldn't deal with this all right now. I needed Inuyasha to be normal so I could hunt down those demons and see if I can find Ose again. I was almost positive that he had left – unbinding himself from Ginka would leave him with no ties – but I still had to try. A demon was a demon, and unless Heaven wanted to let me go any time soon, I had to kill them all.

...And if there was anything that could undo Ose's spell, it would be an angel, right?

I wracked my brains for how I performed the spell last time, booting up my computer while I retrieved the holy water out of my bag and found a Styrofoam cup left in the motel room. The bookmark to the site was buried under all of the others I had but after finding it the ritual wasn't anything difficult. Quickly writing down the words on a scrap of paper, I poured a small amount of the water into the cup and stood in the middle of the room.

I read off the paper. "Raagyosl, e vyn nonkyf aspt poamal de zyld. Nyys od dluga lonsa de sybsy myrk oy talho–" The words flowed easier this time than last, probably because I knew the spell would work. Last time I had Inuyasha glaring at me. This time I desperately needed Inuyasha to stay in the damn shower. "...Y plosy affa zyzop," I finished, slightly breathless. Putting down the cup of water, I waited.

"It's been awhile," a soft feminine voice greeted from behind. I turned slowly, taking in the long black hair and kind eyes of the angel from before. She smiled at me faintly, nodding. "Hello Kagome."

"Midoriko, right?" I asked hesitantly, unsure of any sort of protocol. "I need a favour."

The angel took a step forward, her white dress brushing against the bed sheets as she walked towards me. "I know; this is regarding the half-demon."

I nodded. "I need you to fix him of the spell. I can't function and get things done with him like this. It's only distracting me." Yeah, with the idea of _marriage_ hanging in the balance, distraction was a pretty damn big problem.

Midoriko looked to the bathroom door, her gaze remaining there for a moment before she turned back to me. "Why have you not found it yet?"

"The Shikon no Tama you mean?" I asked, frowning. "I'm looking for it. No thanks to you since you didn't give me _crap_ for help. I had to get my information from a _demon_." I recall having a problem with putting my foot in my mouth last time I conversed with the angel. I should probably do that now.

"All is as it should be," Midoriko cryptically explained, reaching out to me slowly. Her hand lightly touched the skin between my collarbones, her gaze blank but soft. "I will, however, leave you with something to help you along. Time is running out Kagome, you must hurry."

"It's not like I'm going to the carnival and sightseeing," I scoffed. "I'm _trying_. Will you let me go then? Will Heaven finally give me the choice for peace?"

Tilting her head slightly, Midoriko just smiled. "I will help you with your half-demon but I warn you regarding him. You shouldn't rest your trust so easily in one of his kind."

"Demons have been the only ones _helping_. The ones that don't, I kill," I answered, clenching my jaw tight to make sure I didn't say anything more.

Absentmindedly nodding her head, Midoriko looked to the bathroom door again. It was only then that I realized the water was no longer running and the creaking sound of the door opening had me about to call out his name.

"Ka–" Inuyasha's gaze barely focused on me before he was falling to the floor, his body only covered by a towel around his waist and loosening slightly the moment he hit the ground.

"Shit," I cursed, pulling away from the angel's touch and moving to his side. "Do you _have_ to do it like that? He's going to be more brain-damaged than before!" That was the last thing I needed.

Midoriko didn't respond. The angel stood right behind me, hesitating only slightly before sighing and resting her hand on the back of Inuyasha's head. I watched, waiting for some glowing light or glitter exploding but nothing happened.

"Um, is there supposed to be a pink-sparkly thing that lets us know it worked?" I turned around but Midoriko was gone and I was alone with a naked (except for the towel) half-demon.

Joy.

* * *

I shouldn't have been surprised when the door to the motel room literally crashed open, Miroku and Sango piling in like I was being attacked.

"Where is it?" Sango demanded, holding out her hand.

I blinked and waited for something other than 'it'. That wasn't very much to go on.

"How are you feeling? Are you okay?" Miroku asked soothingly, stepping forward with arms outreached like I was going to fall at any second.

I frowned. "What the hell are you guys on?" I asked, looking between them. I had literally texted them the motel address and room number less than thirty minutes ago. I had gotten no reply and I'm pretty damn sure I didn't send them anything else.

"The Vodka," Sango explained, taking another step closer to me. Cautiously she looked around the room, eyeing the furniture and then gaping at Inuyasha lying barely covered on the bed. "This...is unexpected."

"You're telling me," I scoffed. "I don't have any Vodka so I don't know why you're asking for it. And Inuyasha's problem is easy to explain – I had the angel Midoriko come to rid him of that spell Ose casted. He's just...been passed out for an hour or so and I really don't want to dress him like a two year-old."

Miroku and Sango looked at each other, having a silent conversation that I couldn't figure out myself. The two of them were always like that, really close and able to read each other instantly. It was the kind of connection I lacked and desperately wanted.

"You're not drunk?" Miroku asked finally, raising a brow.

"No."

"And you didn't smash anything to pieces yet?" Sango added.

I shook my head and crossed my arms. I didn't like where this was heading.

"You're not angry?" Miroku continued to prod.

"NO!" I yelled, exasperated. "Why the hell are you asking?"

Sango closed the distance between us and hugged me, pulling me in close and sighing. "Don't be mad," she whispered.

"What?"

Miroku gave me a pat on the back in greeting, shutting the motel room door so any onlookers wouldn't be curious. "Every time you call us in desperate need of our help – which is rare – you're always either drunk or violent or angry – or a mixture of the three. We've grown to expect it. This is what we've done for the past few years. You've never noticed until now."

...Really?

"It's not a bad thing," Sango murmured, pulling away just slightly to look at me. "I'd rather come here and have you calm and relaxed than upset. This just means that you're getting softer."

I frowned. "Softer? As a demon slayer, that really doesn't sound like a good thing."

"But as a human being, it's a lot better," Sango replied, staring at me with those deep magenta eyes. Looking past my shoulder, her gaze fell back to the bed. "I think I know why."

Oh no. Oh no no no no. "Not you _too_," I muttered, lightly pushing Sango off of me. "Come on, he just proposed to me for fuck's sake and now you all think I've grown soft because I hang out with a half-demon?"

Miroku grinned wickedly. "He proposed? Wow Kagome, sex with a half-demon. That's kinky, even for you." Suddenly he frowned. "I'm really not sure I like that."

Sputtering wasn't something I normally did, ever. Right now? That was the best suited response. "_WHAT?_ How does him proposing instantly make you think of sex?"

Rolling his eyes, Miroku gave me a pointed look. "Like you're practicing abstinence," he said sarcastically. "Come on, if he's proposing you've had to have done the deed."

Sango sighed. "Done the deed? Do you have to phrase things like that?"

"Fine! Make hot, sweet, passionate love," Miroku corrected.

I groaned. "I'm going to throw up now." Miroku chuckled behind me and it took all of my willpower to not throw something at his head. "Look, he was under Ose's spell – one that made him think he was a king. I was getting tired of being told that he was going to behead me–"

"So did you be_head_ him?" Miroku asked, wiggling his brows. It was totally uncalled for.

I grabbed the cup of holy water on the nightstand before quickly turning at him and splashing his face. Ha. I felt a bit better. "No, you ass-clown. I just threatened him a little and then he told me he had a compromise–"

"That he'd stop if you two were in a _compromising_ position?"

Sango shot what was probably the dirtiest, most evil glare I have ever seen in the entire world at Miroku. Rightfully, Miroku threw up his arms defensively and took three steps away from the two of us.

"And his compromise," I continued, seething slightly, "was that I become his queen. So I realized that he was officially insane and then deduced that maybe an angel could get rid of the spell. Midoriko came and he passed out. I had to drag him into bed and that was _not fun_." It was even harder because not looking at his body?

Yeah, like torture. Thanks.

As if he could read my thoughts, Inuyasha groaned from behind me. I turned, watching as the half-demon stretched slightly and then sat up, absentmindedly scratching his toned, well-defined stomach that was _clearly_– Stop it right there. Dammit.

Was I really getting soft? I didn't feel any different.

"What up?" Inuyasha asked, blinking a couple times and then rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "Why are Miroku and Sango here?"

"Because we have a president of Hell and two random demons on the loose, and I need help." Heading towards him, I pointed at the towel. "You might want to be careful."

It obviously took a moment for Inuyasha to register what I was saying. Soon, his face turned a slight shade of pink and he wrapped the towel around himself more securely. He got up and grabbed his duffel. "I'll just, uh, change in the bathroom and...yeah."

Sango stared at me, amusement twinkling in her eyes. "You two are ridiculous."

Oh, not this again. "How? How are we ridiculous?"

"He just _blushed_ like a _woman_!" Miroku exclaimed, staring in blatant shock. "And he was all...flustered...like a chick."

"Miroku, shut up," Sango said dismissively. Then she looked back my way. "But yeah, basically what he said. Both of you are turning soft."

"And when she means soft," Miroku added, "she means like warm melted butter."

Thanks for that visual. "Have you two eaten dinner yet? I'm starving," I said, changing the topic as fast as I could. "Let's go get dinner and I'll catch you up on everything. Does that sound good? I think it sounds good."

I went to the other side of the bed to collect my sweater and zip it up. The air was definitely cooler now and if I had an actual warm jacket, I'd probably consider that instead. I ignored Sango and Miroku, who I could clearly hear muttering in the corner.

"Did you hear that ramble?" Miroku asked, astonished.

"Totally soft like warm melted butter," Sango agreed.

Fuck my life.

Inuyasha stepped out of the bathroom, yawning softly. "So what's going on?" he asked, looking at me curiously while he threw his duffel bag on the bed. "What's the plan?"

I frowned at him, trying to get a read on his expression. Considering for the past couple days he'd been acting like a crazed king, I thought he'd act a little differently. Like, you know, embarrassed or mortified or something along those lines. He asked me to marry him for fuck's sake. Doesn't that call for a little red-faced horror show? "Inuyasha, what's the last thing you remember?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha frowned himself. "Uh, didn't we go into that house – the brother's house?" I watched his expression change, his eyes flickering as he registered the time lapse. "What happened? I don't..."

"You don't remember?" I asked, unsure as to whether I should be thankful or not. Why I wouldn't be, I don't know. Maybe it was the thought of how he'd react to the _compromise_ he came up with. The moment that crossed my mind I squashed it like a bug. I couldn't settle on things like that. Not right now with demons on the loose and oh yeah, Halloween tomorrow. This couldn't get any worse.

Inuyasha shook his head, black hair swaying with the motion. His amber eyes looked to the floor, skittering around the room to where Sango and Miroku stood patiently by the door, talking to themselves. "No. I don't remember anything besides finding the brother and Ose together, talking. Didn't we fight?"

I nodded, deciding on a shorter version of the story. "Ose put the same spell on you that he cast on Kinka. You thought you were a king for a couple days. I managed to cure you." Telling him that an angel did it probably wasn't a good thing. He didn't have a problem with me contacting one but having an angel touch him might cross boundary lines I don't know of.

It was strange when Inuyasha just continued to nod, suddenly looking at the claw-like nails on his hands. "And now?"

"We're going out to dinner to formulate a plan on how we're going to deal with these demons," I replied, stepping closer and patting him on the shoulder. "Come on, it's getting late."

The four of us headed outside, the sky already darkening. The moon was just a sliver, waning and disappearing. It would be the new moon on Halloween. That was definitely going to make demon hunting hard. The darkness was their best friend. I turned to face Inuyasha, just to comment on the fact when I was stopped dead. Inuyasha was frozen, staring into the sky like something had finally just hit him. To anyone else he'd probably look thoughtful, maybe even entranced. I knew he couldn't really give a shit about the sky enough to actually care.

"Inuyasha?" I asked, whispering the word.

Sango nudged me, gesturing towards the half-demon. "Why is he so slow? Isn't he a half-demon? Shouldn't they be faster than this?"

Pushing the worry away, I drawled, "Yeah you'd think so." Sango giggled and left, following Miroku to their truck. I waved a little, surprised when I even got his attention. "Hey, are you coming?"

Inuyasha's face was vulnerable for one split second. It was so fast and fleeting I was only able to register that that was what it was – _vulnerable_. What a strange word to even associate with the man whose face was normally a guarded wall. "Get in the damn car," he grumbled, shutting the motel door and making sure it was locked before standing beside me. "And quit looking," he added, right when he passed.

"Dog boy," I muttered, rolling my eyes. Never mind. I was obviously imagining how strange he was acting. It was probably because I got used to the king routine. Right now, he was acting just like his old self, cursing at me and everything.

I got in the car and started it up, waiting for Miroku to do the same in his truck. Wait...was he and Sango...making out? Ew. Couldn't either of them keep it in their pants for a bit?

Inuyasha was staring at me expectantly. "Well, are we going to get moving wench?"

"I'm waiting for the lovebirds to finish," I replied, gesturing over to the truck before sighing and pulling out anyways. If they missed dinner then, so be it.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

If there was one thing that Inuyasha hated, it was surprises.

This was a surprise, and not a good one.

Waking up and feeling like the dead hadn't been on the top of Inuyasha's list of things to ever accomplish. On the contrary, the half-demon had a lot of shit to do. A lot of shit that he had to be careful about. Kagome was getting stronger and he couldn't take chances. So when he woke up on the bed only wearing a towel, worry started to sink in.

_What the fuck just happened?_ It was hardly registering, even as he sat up and feigned confusion. Kagome, Miroku and Sango stared at him and... What the hell? Why were _they_ there?

That wasn't part of the plan.

When Kagome opened her lips and spoke to him, everything just kind of blurred for one second. It wasn't like passing out but there was definitely blackness around the edges. Kagome was in front of him but then not, suddenly below his body and staring up at him with big brown eyes. And then it shifted again, switching to another scene, sitting with her at a restaurant with a smile gracing her lips. Once more it changed, Inuyasha now on his knee and holding her hand... _Be my queen._

Well fuck.

It's not even like everything came back to him. It was just a few moments, private seconds that were all focused on Kagome. Suddenly the woman of his thoughts was pointing at his towel, looking at him with amusement. Oh.

He rushed to the bathroom. He had to calm himself, take a few seconds to breathe. _Remember_. But he couldn't. All he saw were flashes of Kagome. What if he said anything stupid? What if he told her anything, hinted at anything? This was getting far too dangerous. He was letting it get too far. He dressed quickly and walked back out, not feeling any better when Kagome finally explained that a couple days had passed.

_Shit_.

Kagome was looking at him strangely, frowning, and Inuyasha mulled things over in his head. "And now?" It was a question with many different meanings. What were they doing now? What happened to _them_ now? Did anything change?

Nothing seemed to.

But it didn't matter because now that his memories of the past few days were filled with only small clips of Kagome, worry started to settle heavy in his chest. Feeling anything for her wasn't possible, no way. Why was he even thinking about this shit in the first place? All he needed to do was ignore it, because surely it would go away. What was in the past was in the past. He just had to move on.

But then he remembered pushing her to the floor, tackling her and winning. Her eyes were so dark. He could almost mistake it for lust.

Shut up, shut up, _shut up_.

And then he walked outside and everything finally registered.

The sky was dark. The moon was almost gone.

He was turning human.

Well no wonder.

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	23. The Big Bad Wolf

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Three: The Big Bad Wolf**

* * *

"_If you're into evil, you're a friend of mine. See my white light flashing as I split the night, 'cause if God's on the left then I'm sticking to the right."_

_-Hell's Bells, AC/DC_

* * *

When the sky was dark, I never really minded when I was committing a crime. Sure, it made things a bit harder – I mean sliding a window lock to break into a house was _not_ a piece of cake – but in the end it was safer.

People didn't go out into the dark, not normally. Yeah there were teenagers, and partiers and those that worked the graveyard shifts. Otherwise, the rest were snuggled in bed dreaming and were totally oblivious to my felonies.

"Kagome, what's taking so long?" Sango whispered, not sounding rash but more bored. There was a shit-eating grin on her face and a twinkle in her dark magenta eyes. It had been a while as far as I knew since she had last been on a case. Owning _Boomerang's _was definitely a time-stealer and Sango isn't exactly the type to just settle down.

"It's the goddamn lock," I hissed, struggling with the knife I had. My lock picking tools had failed me so I was on to Plan B. When I felt the metal catch, I let out a breath I'd been holding and carefully continued on until the lock detached. "Finally."

"See, you're totally soft," Sango remarked, grinning again before reaching out and opening the window carefully.

I rolled my eyes at her and turned on a small pencil flashlight I had. I nodded at my best friend before sliding in, barely squeezing through the tight opening. My demon radar wasn't going off so I knew we were safe, but the idea that those two demons – the ones that Sango and I were currently trying to find – were still out there didn't make me feel all that much better.

Earlier in the night the four of us had dinner. Miroku and Inuyasha seemed to get along well enough, if only because Miroku was a persistent little bastard and Inuyasha was most likely too tired to argue. Call me crazy but something was strange with the half-demon I'd been with for almost a month now. He was quieter than usual, not as brash and rude. While I didn't mind the change, per se, it was odd.

Catching Sango and Miroku up on the 411 wasn't too hard, especially since they seemed to take everything in stride. Since Inuyasha was fully fixed and no longer threatening to behead anyone, conversation flowed smoothly and pretty soon we were formulating plans on what to do next.

"Tomorrow we can get information from the murder victim – the woman, right? Did you get a name?" Miroku asked, tapping his finger on the wooden table. "You obviously can't go in and get the report but Sango and I could."

I agreed, realizing that walking into a police station where at least _one_ of them would recognize me wouldn't be a smart idea. "I want to go back to the house; find anything that could help us find out what we're up against. Inuya–"

"I'm going to try and catch their scent," the half-demon interrupted, barely glancing at me before picking at his food. "It's a bit hazy but I still remember it from before."

"But you were under a spell," I argued, shaking my head. "No, you should come with me and–"

"I was under a _spell_," Inuyasha repeated, glaring. "My smelling abilities don't just turn off with a magical switch. I'm positive I'll recognize it when I track it."

I stared at him, raising a brow. "What about Ose, don't you want to find him?"

"You said it yourself earlier," Inuyasha replied, shrugging. "He's probably long gone if he killed Ginka. He caused enough of a disturbance here."

"You should still come with me to the house," I stated, narrowing my eyes.

Inuyasha shook his head. "It'll be faster if we separate."

"I need backup."

"Sango can go with you tonight when it's dark, Miroku can check on the victim tomorrow morning and I'll run around trying to find the demons' scents." Inuyasha took a long sip of his drink, smirking.

Miroku watched the exchange with a smug look on his face. I wanted to smack it off of him. "He has a good point you know. It's probably better if we split, we'll kill more birds with more stones."

"Tomorrow isn't going to be a good day, we need you with us to find the demons as soon as possible," I argued, wondering why Inuyasha was acting so strange. "It's Halloween and I'll be_damned_ if I'm stuck killing two demons when surely there are a lot more problems mucking about. I want to get this over and done with."

Suddenly Sango placed her hand on my shoulder, giving me a pointed look. "Do you really think we could find them so fast, even if we search the place? It's not like they dropped a business card to their location. Inuyasha needs to run around to find where they're hiding out."

I didn't like it. I didn't like the plan one fucking bit.

Dammit, I was doing it anyways.

Sango mumbled a complaint as she crawled through the tiny window, lowering herself down gently. "Okay, so I don't like the getting-inside part of breaking in. Lock picking is far more entertaining," she whispered.

"Yeah and that crime scene tape won't look remotely suspicious if it's sliced against the door," I remarked, pointing the flashlight at her. "Come on, let's look around. I found the body in the kitchen." The two of us edged our way along, the darkness of the hallways somewhat creepy. Sango had pulled out her own flashlight and started to sweep the hallways with the beam of light.

"Anything in particular we're looking for?" Sango asked me, her voice merely a low mumble.

I shrugged, not exactly knowing myself. I was sure there had to be _something_ though – sulphur, goo, burn marks, _anything_. "Whatever seems demon-like."

I ignored Sango's snort and continued into the kitchen, staring at the dark red stain that clearly covered the floor. It had been mostly cleaned but the cracks were still caked with it. Holding back a shudder, I started to shift around the room, running gloved hands along the countertops and cupboard doors.

Inuyasha really should be here, not out alone trying to catch the demons' scents with Miroku. He just recovered and was still probably feeling strange. I wasn't even sure what Midoriko did to him – was it only temporary? She disappeared before I could even blink.

_Totally soft..._ Sango and Miroku's words echoed in my skull.

No, I was not getting _soft_. Such a thing didn't exist for me. I was just a bit concerned because he was a half-demon and he was on his own with Miroku – who was really a pervert – and so many things could go wrong. It was night time dammit.

_You are getting soft_, I thought to myself, flinching and focusing back to the task at hand. It wouldn't do me any good to get those kinds of thoughts.

"Hey Kagome, come here," I heard Sango call out, stopping me from my search in the kitchen and leading me to the living room. I saw all the damage, partly from the cops and what would probably be the demons. Pictures were shattered along the floor, some chairs wobbling and mostly broken. Sango was bent over one of the small tables, this one particularly shattered with splinters of wood swept into a pile.

"What did you find in this mess?" I asked, taking a step closer and shining the light down. I didn't even wait for Sango's response, merely bending down and picking up the dark brown fluff on the floor.

"Hair," Sango announced, somewhat smugly. "And that's _totally_ not human."

She was right, it definitely wasn't. It was too coarse and short, looking more like dog hair. "I can't tell anything from it," I muttered, trying to shine it in the light. "But I bet Inuyasha could smell it. He'd probably have a better idea as to what it is, maybe able to track the demons better."

Smiling, Sango patted me lightly with her gloved hand. "You don't have to thank me."

I laughed, thanking her in a ridiculously sugary voice before tucking the patch of fur into a Ziploc bag. We headed back to the room we entered from, slipping out of the window. I couldn't do much to put the lock back in place, but I figured the cops had already searched and weren't going to thoroughly check again.

We high-tailed it to the Corvette and giggled the moment we got in, letting out a sigh when the engine purred to life.

"Oh goodie, it's Halloween," I muttered, glaring at the light of the clock. It was just past midnight, finally October 31st of 2009. Today was not going to be _fun_ by any means.

Sango lightly smacked my arm and together we headed back to the motel. Miroku and Inuyasha were back, settling into the room Miroku had previously booked. It had one king-bed, and I was trying very hard to ignore the fact that my best friends were _sleeping_ together. I was happy for them, really. It was just a strange thing to actually witness, rather than just figure out.

"Any luck?" Miroku asked, instantly stepping into Sango's space and wrapping an arm around her waist. "Any signs of trouble?"

"You," Sango muttered, rolling her eyes. "Actually we found some fur. Inuyasha, would you be able to tell what kind of demon it is, anything?"

I watched the half-demon for a moment, taking in the slightly wary look in his eyes before the curt nod. I wanted to know what was up with him – he had been abnormally quiet all of dinner – but didn't know how to approach the subject. Maybe later tonight when it was just the two of us I could figure things out.

The Ziploc was pulled from my hands, Inuyasha taking it and opening it gingerly. He didn't even have to touch it, _hell_ he didn't even move his face closer to the opening of the bag. All of a sudden the half-demon wretched a little, gagging.

"Hell, I forgot they smelled so bad," Inuyasha muttered, shutting the bag and tossing it at me. "Yeah, I definitely can't forget that smell."

Pocketing the bag, I nudged Inuyasha over and sat beside him on the bed. "So what are we up against?"

Inuyasha frowned for a bit, staring at the small gap between our legs before shaking his head. "I can't narrow it down to specifics but I can tell you the family. They're wolf demons and smelly ones at that."

Sango's face split into a grin before she was laughing, Miroku entertained alongside her. "They smell bad?"

"It's fucking disgusting," Inuyasha spat, "even with my nose like it is."

It was my turn to frown, and I opened my mouth to question him on it when suddenly Miroku was cutting in, putting a laptop on my legs and pointing. "See this?" the black-haired man said, blue eyes intense. "Well Inuyasha and I went out and couldn't pick anything up – no Ose and no other demons. I did, however, hear sirens."

Sango peered over his shoulder. "Did you find out what it was about?"

"Yeah, another fucking dead body," Inuyasha explained, rolling his eyes. "They hit again but by the time we got there, humans were all over the place and I couldn't pick up their scent."

Maybe it was just me, but I thought scents lasted...awhile. It was the reason why anything dead and rotting in a room tended to keep the room smelling horrible even after numerous cleanings. How come Inuyasha couldn't pick it up? Then again, I wasn't demon (or half) so what did I really know?

"It's made breaking news," Miroku explained, pointing at the laptop again to gain my attention. "This is apparently the third victim and now they're claiming to have a serial killer on the loose."

"Lovely," I muttered, rubbing my sore eyes. "The last thing I need is more police in the area. Are they calling the feds?"

Miroku shrugged. "I won't be able to find out tomorrow morning until Sango and I head in to see the victims."

"Alright, well let's catch a couple hours of sleep and then hit the town early tomorrow. We should attack the demons during the day – Halloween will only get worse at night," I added, thoughtfully noting how terrible the next day would be. "I'll wake you guys up."

Sango nodded, ruffling my hair a bit before stretching. "Thanks for letting me B-and-E with you. I miss the good old days."

I rolled my eyes, watching as Miroku was already stepping into Sango's personal space. "Yeah, I really bet you do." Shaking my head and smiling, I waited for the half-demon at my side before leaving the room.

It was early morning, the sky oppressively dark as we walked down the few doors to our own room. Inuyasha was looking rather intensely at the stars above, twinkling in the inky blackness. He seemed calm in the silent way he moved, but his body was rigid, tense for a fight.

"Hey, are you alright?" I asked, nudging into his shoulder a bit and obviously startling him. Inuyasha practically jumped. "Whoa there."

"Fucking wench," Inuyasha spat, glaring at me. "What the hell was that for?"

Well, wasn't he just a bucket of sunshine? "I was just _asking_ if you were okay, _dog boy_," I snapped right back, giving him a pointed look. "Next time I won't even bother." Pulling out the key to our motel room, I unlocked the door and went straight to my bed. "You have first shower, I want to do some more research on these demons." I refused to look at him, even though he was standing awkwardly at the other end of my bed. I glanced up, somewhat confused when I saw confliction in his eyes. Inuyasha was normally far more guarded, more stoic. The half-demon looked away before I could read any more into it.

"Whatever," Inuyasha breathed, sounding more like a sigh as he grabbed his duffel bag and went into the bathroom. The slamming door only slightly made me feel better – a cranky Inuyasha was the Inuyasha I was used to.

I booted up my laptop as the water began to run, impatiently waiting and changing into pyjamas while the old thing loaded. Finally I pulled up my bookmarks and web pages, thanking the universe for the wireless internet. I sorted through what I thought could be helpful or not. Ten minutes later and I still had nothing.

That wasn't uncommon; it was just annoying as hell. I exited the browser and started looking through some old PDFs that I'd collected over the years. There were so many that I never really liked to look through them, but they were helpful to always have on hand, just in case. It took a bit of time but eventually I think I found something, looking at the purple page and white-scripted font.

Ignoring the sound of water shutting off, I read the paragraphs over and over again, memorizing every detail. I couldn't be sure if this was the kind of demon we were looking at, but so far it was the closest I had gotten.

"Anything interesting?" came the deep voice from the other end of the room and I looked up, forcing my eyes to remain above the neck.

It was so very, horribly tempting to look lower.

"Will you put on a shirt?" I demanded, rolling my eyes and pointedly studying his face. No, I will not notice the...well, the really nice body he has. It's not like I hadn't seen it before. On the contrary, I had noticed far too many times.

Inuyasha smirked, bending down to grab what I presume was a t-shirt out of his bag. I noticed the silver roots obviously showing and sighed.

"We'll need to do your hair after, re-dye it and all that," I said, turning away when he straightened up again to put on the cotton shirt.

The half-demon nodded, golden eyes flickering in the dim light of the motel room. He came and sat down on the bed with me, and maybe it was just me but...wasn't he a little _close_?

_Keep it together Higurashi. Jumping a half-demon would be bad._

_Talk about the clichés._

"So, did you figure it out?" Inuyasha asked, tilting his head.

I shrugged, trying to calm down the heat building within me. Dammit, go away _dog boy_. "I might have but I'm not entirely sure. There's not too much that I can find out there..." I murmured, pointing at the screen where I had previously been reading. "This was the most I could come up with – called the _okuri-ōkami_ or "escorting wolf." Basically, there's this idea that these supernatural creatures walk the mountains and protect humans wandering through the terrain from other wolves. Apparently there is another kind of wolf though, the kind that the three little pigs would be afraid of."

Inuyasha sighed exasperatedly. "What the hell do pigs have to do with it?"

"Please tell me you've read the _Three Little Pigs_," I said, practically pleading. I stared at him, noticing no trace of recognition in those eyes and finally admitting defeat. "You were sheltered."

"I was _on my own_ and I'm a _half-demon_, you idiot."

I grumbled. Whatever dog boy. "It's a story about three little pigs who are building houses. A big bad wolf comes along and huffs, puffs, blows the house down – presumably to eat them. That's the other basic idea of these creatures. They are either good protectors or evil devourers. I'm thinking with our baddies, we're looking at the latter."

Inuyasha nodded, shifting closer as he leaned in to read the writing. "Alright, that could work. Does it say how to slow them down? Kill them?"

"Well there's only one way to kill them," I mentioned, flexing my hand. "Me. There isn't really any way to slow them down _but_ they do mention that if you fall down in front of them, it's like an invitation to have you for breakfast. However, asking them to spare your life will make them protect you."

"Are you _crazy_?" Inuyasha exclaimed, whipping his head around to stare at me.

Wow. He was...very close. I could smell the motel-provided shampoo and body wash. I could even see the little droplets of water still clinging to his bangs. Any closer and–

"It's my turn for the shower!" I jumped up, slammed my computer shut and then all but launched myself into the bathroom.

Panting and looking in the mirror, I had to refrain from doing anything stupid. Okay, so the guy was hot. Whatever. I shouldn't be this ridiculous over the fact. And yeah, I haven't gotten laid for a while but it's not like I'm _dying_. Surely I have better wits about me.

So why the hell am I acting like this?

Frowning, I turned on the water for the shower. Time to ponder my thoughts alone normally never did me any good – I always tended to over think things than problem solve – but in this case I could let it go. Surely I couldn't talk to Sango about this. She'd say something stupid like I had _feelings_ for the half-demon.

Right.

No. Definitely not.

* * *

It was a really bad day.

I shouldn't have been surprised when it happened. It's Halloween and with all the little princesses and superheroes running around having fun, bad luck was bound to go somewhere – to me. Again, I'm unsurprised.

It started when I woke up to bright skies and a half-demon about two inches away from my face.

"Holy _SHIT_!" I cursed, grabbing the gun under my pillow and whacking him in the head with it.

"What the _fuck_!" Inuyasha yelled, obviously pained.

I sat up, safety off and gun pointed, staring over the edge where Inuyasha was now laying. Letting out a breath, I put the gun down and stood up. "What the _hell_ were you doing?" I exclaimed, nudging him with my foot.

The half-demon growled before rolling up, glaring at me with intense eyes. "I was waking you up because it's fucking noon and you were still sleeping."

Ignoring the fact that he was waking me up with his face _two inches away_, I turned to look at the small alarm clock. "I set my alarm though, what happened?" My cell phone was still on the nightstand, but the moment I went to check it, I realized it was _dead_. "Perfect," I muttered. "Can you go and wake Sango and Miroku?"

"I'm surprised they didn't come knocking awhile ago," Inuyasha said, still not moving from his spot near my bed.

I sighed. "Those two could sleep for days on end and if they did what I think they did last night, they're definitely enjoying the sleep." The day could've started better. Now we had to get ready, find food to eat and then hunt down the demons. We'd be lucky if we even found them by the time the sun was setting. Fighting them in the middle of the night was _not_ part of the original plan.

The soft click of the door opening and shutting had me turning around, remembering the half-demon I was stuck with. What the hell was going on with him anyways? He was oddly close to me, acting pretty damn strange and if he didn't stop soon something dumb was going to happen.

Like me jumping him because you can't be _that_ close and a tease.

I washed my face in the bathroom sink, trying to clear my thoughts and focus on the task at hand. Just because I had a half-demon standing closer than usual, didn't mean I was allowed to go off topic. We had two wolf-demons running around killing people. I had to put a stop to it.

Dressed and ready by the time Inuyasha got back, I laughed at the expression on his face. "I forgot to warn you about waking Sango up, didn't I?"

"At least she didn't hit me with her fucking _gun_," Inuyasha snapped. "The fuck you do that for anyways?"

"You were right in my face when I woke up!" I defended, crossing my arms. "Since you don't show up on my radar, it's more than a little startling when someone is so damn close. What the hell were you doing anyways?"

Inuyasha froze, turning away quickly when he finally got his wits back. "I'm fucking starving, can we eat?"

"Way to change the topic," I retorted, rolling my eyes and picking up my duffel bag. "Are Miroku and Sango getting ready?"

Inuyasha nodded, throwing a few things into his own bag before following me out the door.

Yes, today was looking less than promising and it was just starting.

It only got worse the moment we stepped into the fast food place for breakfast. Now, normally I preferred diners or something with a lot less grease and more real food. However, Miroku was complaining, Sango was in desperate need of coffee and I pulled over at the first place I saw. The faster we ate, the faster we could find these demons and kill them.

Of course, little children dressed up and running around really didn't help any.

"DEMON!" one child screamed, giggling moments later and running when another kid ran around with a red and black face and horns.

"Just perfect," I spat, glaring at the parents who were so blissfully ignorant.

The food came five minutes later, after much screaming and a pounding headache. We found a corner where the children weren't playing and sat down to eat. Sango was happier after her third coffee. "So Miroku and I are going to head over to the police station, see if we can find anything out about the victims. We can figure out if they have any human suspects."

"What good would that do?" Inuyasha asked, raising a brow as he munched away on some sort of bagel sandwich. "It's not like they know about what's really going on."

"No but how do you think we learn about demons?" Miroku asked. "When demons kill, they leave a lot behind. It's not like they can get caught. We learn from what they leave – like sulphur or fur, or what body parts they take or eat. Body markings, deformities, commonalities between victims... All of it helps eventually."

Inuyasha raised a brow. "You're really into this shit."

I sighed. "It's not like it's the only thing we do." Unable to eat another bite of the crap in front of me, I scrunched up the paper. "So we'll be hunting down the demons while you're investigating. I'll call and let you know if we find them."

"Where are you thinking of looking?" Sango asked, taking a sip of her fourth coffee. "You said you narrowed it down to those escorting wolves, right?"

I nodded. "There aren't exactly any mountains here though. I was thinking the St. Croix area, it is wooded there. It'd be a decent place to hide out and it's only a mile from here."

"I've already been around there," Inuyasha said, frowning at me. "Do you know how big that area is? It's all along the river and goes on for a while. There's no way we'll cover it all."

"That's what we have _you_ for," I murmured. "You have the scent and I have the radar. Surely we can find them."

The half-demon didn't look happy. "That could take _hours_," he hissed. "I don't want to go walking around all day."

"What other option do we have?" I asked back, glaring at him. "People are dying; they've already killed three innocents. We kill them tonight and that's that."

Growling, Inuyasha stood up with his garbage in hand. "Let's just go," he snapped.

When he walked out the door, Miroku whistled. "He's a bit moody, huh?"

"Welcome to my life," I replied, unable to hold off the frown. Something was wrong with him, if only I could find out what.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha was fuming. He couldn't tell her. He couldn't tell her that he was turning human tonight. That would show her his weakness. It was already seeping into his daily habits – getting too close to her, unable to pull himself away. He was drawn to her, worse with the flood and onslaught of human emotions and insecurities. It wasn't like he never had them before, but it was harder this time around.

Kagome was something different. She was that girl he couldn't have because he needed her. He needed her to accomplish his plan, get what he'd always desired. She was merely a tool.

The problem was that every day, she became less of a tool and more of a...woman. Even with her poor language, quick temper and bitter outlooks, she was still amusing, outgoing and insanely attractive. She didn't even know it, which made it that much more difficult.

_Fuck_, he thought. He needed to stay focused.

He would go running around the forest, hunting those stupid, smelly wolves and help her kill them – all before sunset. Then he could go back to their room and sleep away his human state.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled, coming up right behind him. "What the _hell_ is going on with you?"

Inuyasha had to force himself not to strangle her. Or kiss her. Damn those human emotions. "Nothing is wrong. Let's just get this shit over with so we can get back and sleep."

Her hand was on his shoulder before he could move and suddenly she was close to him – _too close_, _too close_. "I know that something is wrong. You're acting weird and moody and normally you're bitchy but never like this."

He was pretty positive that that was concern and an insult, all wrapped up into one. "I'm fine Kagome."

She looked more than a little sceptical. "No, you're not."

Inuyasha sighed. "Leave it, will you?"

He didn't give her a chance to respond, merely heading towards the yellow Corvette and leaning against the passenger door.

Kagome just watched him with big brown eyes that seemed to pierce through him.

Inuyasha cursed under his breath.

* * *

I wasn't stupid, I knew Inuyasha was right. Searching a massive forest would take forever, especially to find two demons that probably didn't want to be found. But there wasn't like I had another choice. I could put Sango out for bait, but we didn't know any commonalities between the victims yet, so that was a bust. We could wait in the city and hope for the best, but Stillwater was well-sized and there would be no chance in hell of finding them.

So struggling through the forest it was.

"This is fucking absurd," Inuyasha snapped, irritated. He'd been getting worse as the day went on. It was now four-thirty, and we'd be trudging around for a good three hours. It wasn't physically demanding work by any means but it was boring.

I punched him lightly in the shoulder. "I told you we should stay separated. We could probably find them faster, regroup and then attack after."

Inuyasha shook his head rather forcefully. "No. Leaving you on your own is a bad idea. You're bound to get killed."

"Excuse me?" I asked, raising a brow. "I did perfectly find on my own before you came. I took on hoards of demons and brought every single one of them to Hell, thank you very much."

Inuyasha smirked. "But you're _soft_, remember?"

"Oh fuck off." I refused to let him know I was silently thinking the same thing. I was getting soft. It was a horrible, no good thing.

I wasn't exactly hating it though.

"So wench, what's your big plan for when we find them? Call Miroku and Sango, stalk the demons and then somehow rendezvous with your friends to kill the big bad wolves?"

I nodded, shrugging. More or less.

"That's a terrible plan," Inuyasha muttered, scowling. "We should just attack them and get it over with. We can take them on."

"We hardly know anything about them!" I exclaimed, staring at him while we followed what looked to be an old path.

Inuyasha's mouth formed a tight line, and even though I was glaring at him he refused to look at me. "You said they were the escort wolves or whatever. All we have to do is ask them to spare our lives or some shit like that."

This conversation was insane. "Do you _hear_ yourself?" I asked sceptically. "You told me last night it was bullshit and I _know_ that's bullshit."

"What's bullshit is the fact that we've been out here for seven hours–"

"Three."

"And we're no closer to find them."

I sighed, exasperated. "Then you can go, how about that? Why don't you rest your poor little feet and drink a cold beer while the woman does the hard work? It's okay. I understand that you clearly lost your balls sometime between breakfast and saying goodbye to Miroku and Sango."

Inuyasha growled, and before I knew it my back was pressed painfully against a tree trunk. "You need to _shut up_," he snapped, face dangerously close to mine.

I kicked up, landing the heel of my boot on his kneecap before grabbing his hair and pulling as hard as I could. "Get the hell off me!"

"Why are you so _difficult_?" Inuyasha yelled, pushing against the pull of his hair. "Honestly, if you could've just been this naive little bitch–" He cut himself off, eyes wide and horrified.

I pushed him back while I had the chance, stomping up to him and punching him in the stomach. He only flinched at the contact but I didn't care. I figured it would get my point across anyways. "What the _fuck _is wrong with you? What the hell do you mean if I was 'this naive little bitch'?"

Inuyasha looked to the sky, taking a couple deep breaths before cursing under his breath.

I wasn't having any of it. "What did that _mean_ Inuyasha? You fucking tell me _right now_."

For a moment, there was nothing but the rustling of leaves in the wind as Inuyasha remained silent. Finally he looked back down, amber eyes catching mine. "Then maybe you wouldn't be so careful all the time," he said slowly. "For someone with nothing to lose, you play it way too safe."

My eyes narrowed, unable to believe it. "You can't turn this around on me _dog boy_. That's not what this is about." I opened my mouth to say more and curse him out, but all of a sudden the radar in my head started going off, just little flickers of beeps. "Shit," I murmured, looking around. "They're near."

"What?" Inuyasha hissed.

"Can you smell them?"

The half-demon looked worried for a moment before shaking his head. "No, not here but we're upwind."

Giving him a strange look, I started walking through the woods a little quieter than before. My radar had a pretty long reach, so I wasn't worried yet about being heard. "Follow me and tell me when you have something."

A half-hour past and while the beeping was getting louder, Inuyasha still wasn't picking anything up. "Here, just get on my back," the half-demon said, bending down. "I'm a hell of a lot faster and we can catch up with them, get them off-guard."

"We should call Sango and Miroku," I corrected, reaching into the pocket for my cell phone.

"No!" Inuyasha snapped. "Dammit, it's already getting dark. The sun is going to set in less than an hour. We need to kill the wolves _now_."

"What aren't you telling me?" I asked quietly, seeing the hesitance and fear in his golden eyes. The wind was ruffling his long black hair, little strands of silver shining in the light. "If something is wrong, if there's something you know–"

"I don't know anything," Inuyasha interrupted, shaking his head. "But wolf demons are fast Kagome and if we hesitate they will be gone and they will kill someone else. We can take them on."

I sighed, pulling out my phone. "Fine, but I'm going to call and tell Miroku and Sango anyways. Can you climb the tree and see anything definite to let them know the area we're in?"

Inuyasha looked more than just a little annoyed but after lowering himself nearly to the ground in a crouch, he was suddenly up in the sky, leaves falling as he past.

Well, wasn't that cool.

I dialled Sango's number and waited for her to pick up. She didn't answer and instead I got voice mail. I told her our situation and how we found the demons in the woods. When Inuyasha crashed to the ground – more like landed like a friggen graceful cat – I told them the area marker that Inuyasha was able to find on the nearby road. While the forest around St. Croix was long, it wasn't particularly wide.

"Call me and let me know when you're here. Hopefully we'll have everything taken care of by then and will meet you at the motel room. Bye," I finished, hanging up and pocketing the cell. "Are you happy now?" I asked Inuyasha, who still looked particularly impatient.

"Just get on my fucking back," the half-demon snarled.

It only took three minutes for Inuyasha to catch their scent, and with my radar telling me how close we were getting, it seemed like we were getting closer. Inuyasha was incredibly fast, and most of the time I buried my head in between his shoulder and neck. I couldn't see for shit anyways, my eyes just kept tearing up. I relied on my demon radar to let me know how close we were.

Suddenly we were at a dead stop, Inuyasha cursing and letting go of me. I slipped down, opening my eyes and staring at what looked like a makeshift camp.

"They know we're here," Inuyasha whispered, his voice deep and low. "I can smell them, they're not far away. They're probably watching."

"Oh they're close alright," I replied, the beeping in my head an insistent pulse. "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?"

Inuyasha smirked, just a tilt of the lips before he growled. "I know you're hear you fucking disgusting sacks of shit. Want to come out and play?"

I looked at him. "Your language is terrible."

"Do you _hear_ what comes out of your mouth?" he asked incredulously.

No more could be said because in that instant, two demons seemed to appear out of nowhere, dust falling behind them as if they kicked up a storm. It was a male and female – the demons I saw at the house with the woman – and both of them were smiling.

"Look Ayame," the male one said, grinning wide and toothy. His hair was a dark brown, tied up in a ponytail and his piercing blue eyes were staring right at me. "It's the demon slayer and her bitch. I was wondering when they'd find us."

Ayame laughed, her red hair blowing in the breeze. "No you weren't," she scoffed. "We made bets remember? You owe me fifty."

The man sighed dramatically. "How about I kill both of them and we'll call it even."

"Kouga, a deal is a deal."

"They're like a fucking married couple," Inuyasha said, horrified. Suddenly he took off, running at them and startling the woman. The male demon, Kouga, jumped in front of her and soon they were both struggling on the ground.

I smiled at the red-head, gesturing for her to make a move with my hands. "I promise to make it quick," I added with a wink.

Ayame ran forward and I was taken aback by the sheer speed she had coming at me. I was pushed into another tree, cursing my life before smashing her arms and breaking the hold. Her hands clawed at me, breaking the skin and I could feel little bubbles of blood spill. Wasting no time I lunged forward, kicking at her stomach. I went to punch her but she was suddenly gone, behind me and I was thrown to the ground like a rag doll.

"Son of a _bitch_," I yelled, kicking out once more when the wolf demon tried to climb on top. I managed to get her, sending her reeling back and tripping over a stick. I clawed my way back up, missing her when she rolled and falling down myself when she grabbed at me.

"Kagome Higurashi, the one and only," Ayame hissed through clenched teeth, her body instantly on top of mine with her hands at my throat. "I'd be doing a lot of demons a favour by killing you."

I struggled to breathe, feeling my airway constrict. I had to do it now or never.

"Have fun in Hell," I hissed, strangled breath escaping. I slapped my palm over her heart, feeling the draw to it like strings holding a puppet. The wolf demon gasped, hands suddenly off of my throat but I rolled over, forcing her into the dirt. I raised my hand, felt the connection as her black heart followed.

One second was all it took. One second and my hand clenched into a fist, snapping the ties that held me to her and soon Ayame was still underneath me, big green eyes looking off into the distant sky.

There was a howl, long and loud and I jumped off of her just in time to miss the male wolf demon come over, bleeding black blood onto the woman's body. "Ayame!" he screamed, shaking her slightly.

I made a move at him, desperate to finish. The problem was that Kouga was a lot faster than his mate, and soon I was on the ground, screaming as his claws buried themselves into my arms.

"You _killed _her," he screamed.

"Get the _fuck_ off!"

Inuyasha was all of a sudden there, knocking Kouga off of me and rolling with him. I bit back the hiss of pain and struggled up, watching in horror as Kouga grabbed Inuyasha by the throat and_jumped_. They were soaring into the air and then I was alone, left on the ground and waiting for something – _anything_ – to happen. The radar in my head left me knowing they were close, just above me and covered by the leaves that had yet to fall in the autumn.

"Shit, Inuyasha!" I screamed.

There was nothing but rustling, grunts of curses I could barely make out. "Come on, come on," I muttered, looking up and trying to pinpoint where they were. It was dark now, the sun had just set and for one moment, everything was deathly silent.

When the body fell to the ground, I was not prepared for it. Inuyasha was sprawled, arm bent at an awkward angle and eyes closed. "Inuyasha!" I screamed, rushing over, hands touching at his chest and trying to feel for a beat. "Get _up_!"

A cackle of hysterical laughter ensued, making me look up to see Kouga standing on a branch. "Pathetic fucking _half-demon_," he sneered, jumping down and not even flinching the moment he landed. His blue eyes were focused on me, empty and cold from the loss of his lover. "Like how it feels?" he asked, coming closer with each step. "Do you _feel_ that, the loss of someone you love? He's dying and there's nothing you can do out here. No one can hear you."

It was panic and fear, rolled into one that was making me stand up, not even shaking. I had to kill him to get Inuyasha to safety, back to the room so I could fix him. "No one needs to hear me; I won't be the one screaming." I lunged forwards, knowing he was fast and expecting the whoosh of air as I missed.

I was pushed from behind, hands out as I grasped the tree and spun around to protect myself, to fight. Kouga was right there and I punched, aiming for anywhere. I landed one just scraping his jaw, missed the other and ran the moment I lost him completely.

"You are good," the wolf demon said conversationally, his voice drifting from somewhere above me. "The rumours about you are true. I should've realized so many stories weren't all bullshit."

"I bet Ayame thought that too right before I sent her ass back to Hell," I snarled, hearing the snap of a branch and spinning around just in time to see Kouga practically on top of me. He clawed at throat, the scratch leaving me momentarily breathless as I kicked with my right foot, swung around with my left and knocked him off balance. I lunged then, punching him in the throat and forcing him to the ground.

My hand was over his heart, the strings were connecting, coming closer.

"No!" Kouga screamed, hand coming up and backhanding me across the face. I fell off, groaning at the sting and felt two good kicks landed into my ribs. I coughed, waited as he landed two more until I got the timing right and blocked his fifth. With the palm of my hand I punched him between his legs, elbowing the side of his knee and then pushing with what little strength I had left until he was stumbling towards the ground.

Kouga hissed, cursing. "I'm going to fucking _kill_ you."

I struggled up, ignoring the blood on my hands and coming towards him at a run.

Suddenly, he was gone.

Everything was silent, even the radar in my head.

I waited for what felt like hours, straining to listen, waiting to see if he would come back. When I got nothing, Inuyasha's broken body filled my mind and I ran to the clearing where he lay. He was motionless, blood leaking from the corner of his lips and I placed my fingers on his neck for a pulse. I held my breath, letting it out when I felt the weak pulse and crying out in relief.

"Fuck," I whispered, pulling out my cell phone and dialling Sango's number. She picked up instantly.

"Hey Kag–"

"Where are you?" I asked, wasting no time.

"We just got out of the medical institution. We've been following these damn reports for hours. What's wrong?" Sango asked, instantly realizing something was up.

"Get the truck and drive along Main Street South, close to where the motel is, alright? We'll be on the side of the road, you need to come get us _now_." I hung up, focusing my attention on the half-demon by my side. It was dark out, almost so dark I could hardly see. Laying my hands down carefully on his body, I inspected his chest and stomach for wounds. Warmth spread along my fingers and I cursed.

"Inuyasha, come on wake up," I said insistently, tapping at his cheeks. "Come on, I can't carry you."

I would, if I had to. It would be more like dragging him and had the potential to make things worse but if that's what I had to do, I'd do it.

Slowly, Inuyasha's eyelids fluttered open. "Kagome," he whispered, voice choking and I rolled him over, letting him spit out the blood. "Where–"

"He's gone," I answered quickly, cutting him off so he didn't hurt himself trying to talk. "I got the woman but Kouga's gone." Inuyasha rasped in a breath, it didn't look so good. "I need you to get up so we can walk to the road. On the count of three, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded, just barely and when I lifted him on three it was definitely me doing most of the work. The half-demon at my side was leaning into me heavily, almost making me fall before I struggled to keep balance. I headed towards the road, praying that Sango would check her message from me earlier and know what mile marker we were around. I couldn't even remember what I had said.

"What hurts?" I asked as made our way carefully and slowly to the road.

Inuyasha gasped, coughing for a moment. "Everything," he groaned. "My arm's broken."

"We'll take care of that when we get back. Right now, just keep it against your chest, okay?" I told him, trying to remember what little medical knowledge I had. I cursed myself for not taking the Corvette over here and having Miroku and Sango drive us. At the time it seemed like a fine idea. There wasn't any convenient place to put my car – on the side of a major roadway would only draw the cops' attentions – and originally Sango and Miroku were going to be with us fighting.

I'll never let him talk me into just attacking again.

Stepping over a log jostled him and Inuyasha groaned loudly.

"Come on, we're almost there," I encouraged. I could see the ditch just ahead, and up the hill would be Main Street. "You're okay," I told him, trying to keep him moving.

Inuyasha gave a short, bitter laugh. "No I'm not fucking _okay_," he muttered, half of it coming out strangled as he spat out blood. "I'm _human._"

It took me a moment to process what he said, and even then I didn't believe it. "What?" I asked, stopping to get a better look at him. His head was down as he spat out more blood and I saw... It had to be a trick.

Letting go of the arm he had wrapped around my neck, I grabbed for my cell phone and pulled it out, letting the backlight shine on the top of his head.

No silver. Just blackness.

There was definitely silver there before, I told him I wanted to have it done again before people got suspicious.

"Inuyasha, what's going on?"

The half-demon – _human_ – cursed, looking up at me and holding my gaze. "I'm human," he whispered, so quietly I could barely hear it.

And I believed him, because with the light of my cell phone and his gaze directed at me, I could tell without a doubt.

His eyes were no longer gold. They were a deep, rich brown.

"Inuyasha–"

"Just...don't get mad," he whispered, before all of a sudden those unfamiliar eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed on top of me, sending us both to the dirt floor.

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	24. One Last Nail

**I think this is a chapter you've been more or less waiting for. Enjoy and thank you for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.**

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Four: One Last Nail**

* * *

"_As the city crumbles I see that there's nothing left behind. As we lay here together, feel your heart beat with mine. With time standing still, here is where we've always been. Well there goes the world and we're right in the middle again."_

_-In the Middle, Theory of a Deadman_

* * *

Terrifying didn't really cover it at that moment. With blood trickling down my face and Inuyasha's shallow, barely-there breaths blowing on my cheek, I had one second of sheer panic. This was Inuyasha – human and bleeding – on top of me, unresponsive. I was stuck on the forest floor and while my demon radar was silent, I couldn't help but wonder what more could be out there.

I need to get out from underneath. I need to get to the road, find Sango and Miroku and get Inuyasha back to the motel room. We need to patch him up and leave Stillwater as soon as possible. We need to _go. _

It took what felt like forever to get out from underneath him. There was blood on my hands from the cuts to his chest and every time I jostled him I felt almost physically ill. I left him on his side, making sure that if he woke up and vomited he wouldn't choke on it. His cuts needed cleaning and padding, but there was nothing with me that could cover them all. Sango and Miroku...they had to get here.

I ran to the road, stumbling until the whir of bright lights and speeding cars snapped me out of my daze. I stood there, looking at the light night time traffic and wondering how the _hell_ I was going to find them. This wasn't going to work. There was no fucking way I was going to find them on time.

And then suddenly there was a truck pulling up in front of me, barely recognizable in the darkness. I let out a huge sigh of relief, watching as Sango ran out from the passenger side, eyes wide. "What the hell is going on?" she asked, her big magenta eyes illuminated in the taillight of the truck. "Where's Inuyasha?"

I didn't even pause; instead I grabbed her and dragged her back into the forest. "He's hurt really bad," I said between panted breath, seeing Inuyasha's prone figure and feeling my own bile rise in my throat. "We need to get him back to the motel now."

"How badly?" Sango asked, rounding as I slammed to a stop. "Shit," she cursed. "There's blood everywhere Kagome, what the fuck happened? Why didn't you call us to help?"

"No time for that," I muttered, bending down to try and right the half-demon – the _human_ – up into my arms. "We need to get him back, okay? He's human right now."

Sango took his other side, stabling him with me but swearing out loud nonetheless. "How is he human? Are you sure?"

"His hair and his eyes," I answered automatically, trudging through the forest and struggling to even stay up. "His hair had silver roots before and now it's pure black. Before he passed out I saw that his eyes changed – they're brown, not gold."

"It's dark Kagome," Sango tried to reason. "It could be a trick of the light."

"It's not a fucking trick of the light!" I screamed, wanting to stop to glare at her but knowing that Inuyasha needed to be looked at. "I'm not _stupid_, Sango. He even told me he was fucking human! I'm not sure how the hell he pulled it off, but for some reason he is. That's why he's bleeding to death and if we don't get him back in to the motel, he's going to die."

Sango didn't say anything after that and I was both thankful and worried. I knew my best friend and she wasn't one to just shut up unless it was desperately warranted. Either I was losing my mind or Sango was really worried.

Miroku was waiting by the truck, the back door to the cab opened and waiting. When he saw Inuyasha his eyes widened. His lips moved, asking questions that I couldn't hear. I was just getting him into the truck, sitting in first and dragging him in behind me. Sango was talking, maybe she'd explain it or maybe she wouldn't.

"Inuyasha," I whispered, brushing the dirt and leaves out of his long black hair. "Inuyasha, you have to wake up. Come on."

I barely registered that we were driving. All I saw was pale skin and closed eyes. His clothes were now completely blood-soaked and I took off whatever I could – being just in a bra be _damned_ – and tried to stop the bleeding. Sango tossed over a jacket from the front and I used it as best as I could. Until I had my med kit and could see for myself how deep the wounds were, I was helpless and useless in the back seat of the pickup.

"Kagome what do you need?" Miroku's low voice asked, sounding almost soothing despite the situation.

I looked up, seeing the crappy motel sign flashing and realizing that we were already there. Sango was out, pulling open the back door and looking at me for orders. "Sango, get my car keys and open up the truck in the back. I need the black duffel bag and the green one, right on top. Miroku, help me get Inuyasha inside. I have the room key."

"Your bags aren't in the room?" Sango asked, but I merely waved her off. This wasn't the time to explain to her how ever since the Wadsworth Incident, we kept our bags in the car at all times unless we were physically in the motel room.

Miroku and I managed to get Inuyasha out of the back, and by the time we were at the door Inuyasha was stirring, head lolling on the side of my own.

"Hey Inuyasha," I murmured softly. "Just hold on okay? We'll patch you up."

We had to. _I_ had to.

Miroku gently placed him on the queen-sized bed and I immediately started ruffling through my black duffel bag for my emergency medical kit and a t-shirt to put on. I pulled them out, got dressed and opened the kit up, finding the scissors and wasting no time cutting open his shirt.

"It's not that bad," Sango murmured from somewhere behind me. "It bleeding like a bitch but the wounds don't look too deep."

I gave a closer look, shaking my head. "Sango, get me some damp cloths from the bathroom." I tried using the shirt I had on before, but it was so soaked I wasn't doing much good. When Sango came back with them I wiped away as much blood as I could, figuring I'd take it one long gash at a time.

"A couple need stitches, I think," I murmured. "Okay get me some more wet cloths and the bigger towels. Try to compress the cuts while I start applying the gauze or stitches. Good?"

Miroku nodded and so the process began.

Inuyasha was out for almost all of it, wheezing a few times in pain as I was stitching up a particularly bad cut. I didn't even realize that through most of the process, I was mumbling soothing words of nonsense.

"Kagome, what happened?" Miroku asked softly, just as I was taping up the last of the cuts. The ones on his lower stomach were minor compared to those higher on his chest. I figured that maybe because he was half-demon it would just take longer to heal. Then again, I didn't know shit about what was going on. Was he human permanently? Was this only temporary?

Why the _fuck_ was he human in the first place?

Better yet: why the _fucking hell_ didn't he tell me? I was going to _murder_ the son of a bitch when he woke up.

"Kagome?"

I snapped up to look at Miroku's deep blue eyes, shaking my head to try and remember his question. "Uh, it happened pretty damn fast," I murmured, going back what felt like a year ago. "There were two of them – mates. I killed the woman and it sent the male into a frenzy. Inuyasha saved me but before I could do anything Kouga – the wolf demon – jumped into a tree. I...I don't know what happened. It wasn't even that long. Maybe thirty seconds at most. Just suddenly Inuyasha was on the ground and I didn't think he was breathing and Kouga was there. I- I had to fight. I nearly got him–"

"Shh," Sango whispered, putting both of her hands on my shoulders and pressing for me to sit down on the opposite bed. "It's okay, relax."

I shook my head, eyes once again stilling on Inuyasha's frozen form. "Kouga just disappeared. The fight started fast, ended fast. I couldn't have called–"

Miroku placed his hand on my mouth, silencing me completely with a short look. "It's done Kagome, you need to breathe."

"What if he doesn't wake up?" I asked, clearing my throat when barely any noise came out. "I mean, he's _human_."

"Do you know wh–" Miroku asked, but was quickly cut off by Sango's head shake.

I sighed anyways. "I don't have a clue. Inuyasha didn't say a word – fucking stupid bastard."

"What can we do?" Sango asked instead, sitting down beside me and putting an arm around my shoulder. Her head rested against mine until suddenly she sat up, staring at me. "Are you hurt?"

"No," I whispered, still looking at Inuyasha. Was he even breathing? "Bruised and sore, but that's it." Standing up, I went over to Inuyasha's bedside, relaxing the moment I saw his chest rise and fall with breath.

Christ, I wasn't going to sleep tonight.

Miroku came over, just behind me and a bit to the right. "What's the plan?" he asked slowly, as if doing so would break something in me. "Do you need us–?"

"No," I murmured, briefly breaking my gaze from Inuyasha's closed eyes to Miroku's pale complexion. "There's nothing really to do. I'm going to wait until morning, let him sleep it off and then I'll pack us both up and jump towns. Cops are still probably searching for us, so we need to get moving."

"We'll stay," Miroku decided, nodding at Sango when she gave a small smile. "If there's anything we can do, tell us, alright?"

I nodded. "We're probably going to head in the way of Maine, so you can stick along until we're settled in a new town. I know you guys have other obligations–"

"Don't pull that bullshit," Sango said quickly, not sounding harsh, merely firm. "We can stay as long as you need us."

Letting out a small smile, I quietly thanked whoever cared for two best friends that were – even though crazy and apparently perverted – there for me.

* * *

It wasn't until three a.m., when Miroku and Sango were back in their own motel room that Inuyasha finally woke up.

It was barely more than a wheeze of breath, but after hours of just sitting there and listening to the silence, it sounded deafening to my ears. Instantly I shot out of my bed, getting a glass of water and the painkillers I had left on the bedside table. Inuyasha was looking at the ceiling, unfamiliar brown eyes seemingly blank as his eyelids slowly opened and closed.

"Inuyasha?" I murmured, bending down so that he could see me. "Inuyasha, are you okay?"

A harsh swallow and then he was suddenly struggling, trying to sit up. Pain echoed across his face and I almost spilled the water while trying to put it down so I could help. I managed to get it so that his head was propped but the rest of his body was flat on the mattress. He turned grateful eyes to me, and I wondered who this person really was.

"K...Kago..."

I gave him the glass of water, tilting it at his lips and helping him to drink it. I only allowed small sips, giving him moments in between to breathe. "Do you think you can manage painkillers?" I asked, watching the expression of worry cross his face.

"Where is he?" Inuyasha croaked out, wincing at the sound.

"Kouga is gone, I think I scared him off," I said, trying to go for light but failing miserably as my own smile faded. "Come on, try and take the painkillers, it'll help."

Inuyasha shook his head, brown eyes suddenly focused intently on me. "What time is it?"

"Quarter-after-three in the morning," I replied. "Inuyasha, you should take–"

"I'll be fine," Inuyasha growled, low in his throat but not at all loud. "I'll be half-demon in a few hours and I'll heal in no time."

It took a moment to process, the way his words formed and echoed in my head. "Wait a minute, you'll be half-demon again soon?"

Inuyasha nodded slightly. "Because I'm a half-breed every new moon I change into my full human self, weak and all," he muttered, sounding more than just a little bitter. "When the sun comes up I'll return back to normal."

I wasn't too sure if _normal_ could be defined as _half-demon_, but I guess for Inuyasha it was. Sighing, I put down the pills and glass, sitting on the edge of his bed. I was careful not to jostle him, but he didn't seem to mind anyways.

There were a few moments of silence, where I tried hard to look anywhere but at the bleeding human in bed. Inuyasha just looked determinedly at me. "Your eyes are brown," I said suddenly, biting my lip the moment it came out. "That's how I, uh, knew."

Inuyasha hummed, reaching up with a hand to scratch at his face. "That and the hair are the biggest differences – and the ears if you can see them. They disappear for good, no spell."

I nodded, soaking up the information. Inuyasha seemed oddly talkative, despite the pain he must be in. He was also staring at me, rarely looking away. It made me uneasy, like I was being evaluated on how I acted. "Why didn't you tell me?" I whispered, challenging him with a stare of my own. "You should've said something before we went up against them. Was that why you were so anxious to get it over with, to not wait for Miroku and Sango? Is it because you _knew_ you'd be human soon?"

Inuyasha smirked, the look completely thrown off by the dark brown eyes. "Pretty much."

"When you get better, I'm going to murder you."

"I'd probably survive."

"I'll purify you then," I snapped, slamming my hand down on the bed and glaring. "Jesus fucking Christ Inuyasha, don't you _get _it? You were fucking bleeding to death in the forest and I- I couldn't do much of _anything_." The fact that Inuyasha was so calm, so normal about this right now was burning inside of me. "I've been fucking worried because I never knew you could turn human. If I knew– Shit if I knew, we would've waited a day or left you home–"

"And that's _exactly_ why I didn't do it," Inuyasha interrupted, his voice merely a low growl. "You'd act irrationally."

"Irrationally?" I shrieked, standing up and whipping around to face him completely. "What makes you think–"

"You're _human,_ dammit Kagome!" Inuyasha snarled, pointing at me with a shaking hand. "You humans are all the same with your _damn_ emotions. You're all irrational, every single one of you and it's your _downfall_. It's the reason most of you die. Bad decisions, sacrifices, lying... You rationalize it all out or you don't rationalize at _all_."

"Fuck you," I snapped, slapping at his hand and ignoring the flinch it caused him. "And what about you? You're human so now you're just as _low_ as the rest of us."

Inuyasha huffed, looking away for once and staring at the opposite side of the room. "Don't I fucking know it," he hissed. "It's not like I don't have _emotions_, even demons have those. It's just different. They're not as...significant in the decision process, not always."

I wasn't sure if I believed that, but having no proof to claim otherwise I kept my mouth shut. Inuyasha was talking tonight, and this might be the first time I got anything out of him. "What are you feeling?"

Inuyasha didn't move; it barely looked like he breathed any.

"What are you feeling Inuyasha, right now?" The question was pertinent, to some part of my brain. Was he pissed off because of what happened? Was the pain so great that he couldn't really think straight anyways?

"You don't want to know," Inuyasha said quietly, so much so that even in the silent room I could barely make it out. "It's different being human, or I think it is. The emotions are like fucking tidal waves. You can't help but drown a little."

"I guess I wouldn't know the difference," I answered, letting out a long breath. "I've always been drowning."

Inuyasha nodded, still staring off at the far wall. "I don't think it's a bad thing," he whispered, lip curling. "That's what makes it worse."

"What's a bad thing?" I asked, somewhat confused. He seemed a bit all over the place, distant yet closer than he's ever been. Inuyasha never talked about his own issues, his own thoughts on the matter unless it was superficial. Now, here he was talking and it was like I wasn't even there as he said the words.

Inuyasha groaned. "Never mind. You look tired, get some sleep."

It was funny how he said that, not even looking at me. I clenched my jaw, thinking of pushing for more information but giving up before I could even formulate words. There was no point. Inuyasha was obviously lost to me already.

"I'm not falling asleep any time soon, not with you like that," I replied, walking over to my own bed. "I still think you should take the painkillers."

I was met with silence, so after letting out a frustrated cry, I lied back down on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

Minutes had to have passed without any words being spoken. The room was deadly silent, only Inuyasha's slightly ragged breathing the rhythmic beat to the room.

"Kagome, why do you keep doing this?"

The question threw me off guard, making me snap my head back in his direction. His dark brown eyes met mine, the intense stare making it hard – for just a second – to think straight. "Why do I keep doing what?"

Inuyasha scowled. "Don't play dumb. Why do you hunt demons? Why don't you just run from it and hide out in some tree fort or something?"

The suggestion was so ridiculous I had a second of shock before laughter bubbled through my chest. It was short-lived, since Inuyasha was obviously less than pleased at my response. "Demons aren't just localized," I explained, looking back at the ceiling with a frown. "Even if I went to this deserted island, chances are demons would come find me to kill me or they'd just end up there to kill other humans, I was just a thrown in bonus. I'm tied to Heaven, Inuyasha. I'm their Chosen One – whatever that means. As long as I have their holy power, demons will be attracted to me."

"Like magnetic poles?" Inuyasha added, sounding curious. "Positive and negative."

"Exactly," I murmured. "It's not like I'm drawn to demons, but the demon radar in my head lets me know where they are. I don't know how demons have it, but I guess they have something to that effect."

Inuyasha was silent for a moment. "I don't have that," he said quietly. "There's no pull, no radar. I can cross salt lines and even eat it – just maybe not in large doses. I've never really tried. Holy water is like putting alcohol on a wound, but it wouldn't kill me. I can walk through the Key, even though it's like walking through quicksand... Everything's different."

I listened, absorbing as much as I could. "Does it bother you, being only half?"

"Yes," Inuyasha said instantly, firmly. Then there was a moment where I watched him, where his mouth would open but no sound came out.

"What?" I whispered, gently probing. I just didn't want to push him too far.

Inuyasha frowned, his dark brows settling over the wrinkles caused from worry. "I'm not sure...anymore. I don't like it but I'm not sure if it's...worth it."

"Worth what? The struggle to fit into one category?"

Brown eyes settled on mine, so intensely that I couldn't look away. It was like that golden gaze, only this was different – more real. There was a vulnerability that I could never see before, an openness that was startling, even to me. "All of it," he whispered. Suddenly he sighed and looked away, turning his dark orbs to the ceiling. "When I first met you, I thought you were the strangest bitch ever."

Snorting, and completely thrown off by the change of subject, I rolled my eyes. "No, don't sugar-coat it or anything."

Inuyasha smirked slightly. "You fucking _shot_ me in the leg."

"You were lucky it wasn't your balls," I hummed, sounding as nonchalant as possible.

"I'd have actually ripped your throat out," Inuyasha concluded, nodding once.

I laughed. "Like you'd even get close enough."

"You're pretty close now," Inuyasha murmured, turning his head to look back at me mischievously.

"This is hardly close," I answered, rolling my eyes again. "In your state, you could barely even flex towards me. Never mind try to _rip out my throat_."

"Want to bet?"

I grinned. "Oh, I'd rather bet on the fact that even if I _was_ that close, you wouldn't do it anyways. You're far too soft. Even Miroku and Sango said it."

"They said that about you too," Inuyasha retorted. "I was still half-demon at the time. It was fuzzy but I could hear you."

That wasn't too good. "You heard that?" I groaned, placing my arm across my eyes. "Ugh, I should kill those two."

"Nah, they're good for you," Inuyasha replied. "I, on the other hand, am far too dangerous."

I snorted. "Yeah right, mister scary human. Didn't we go over this? You _couldn't_ touch me and even if you could, you _wouldn't_."

"Come here then."

The words were quick, making me almost believe he didn't say them. When I stared at him confused, he gestured with his gaze for me to switch beds.

"There's room," he explained, patting the side. "Why don't you test your theory?"

Well, this was a bad situation to put myself in. If I didn't go, it would look like a) I didn't trust him and b) I thought he could beat me. If I did go, he could a) actually kill me, which I didn't believe for a second and b) it would at the very least show I trusted him.

I should just lie here and not move. Claiming tiredness wouldn't be bad, not at almost four in the morning.

And yet, I was suddenly at his bedside, careful not to move his body while I lied down and stared at the ceiling with him. I opened my mouth to say _see, no worries_ when his hand was instantly wrapped around my throat.

Immediate reflex had my elbow poised in the air, ready to go down on his face. The other hand was gripping his, trying to tear it off. Before I could even fully react his hand loosened grip, and I could breathe.

"See, I could totally do it," Inuyasha said smugly.

"I should kill you."

"I'm injured."

"You'll heal, isn't that right? In a couple hours, I can do so much more damage." I glared at him, too angry to really notice that the distance between us was barely existent. Inuyasha was looking at me again, but his eyes weren't focused on my own. Instead they were on my parted lips and I felt my heart jump erratically in my chest.

Alarms were sounding. The fucking horns were blaring.

I didn't move.

"Is being human like being drunk?" I whispered, not wanting to break the silence but knowing it had to be said. "Emotions are like liquor and what you think, what you _do_ now, wouldn't have happened if say, you weren't human?"

Dark brown eyes rose to meet mine. "Probably," he answered, equally as quiet. "Yes."

I would have nodded, if the movement didn't connect our lips. Instead I remained still, just looking, waiting.

"This is what I _shouldn't_ be feeling," Inuyasha whispered. "This shouldn't be there."

It hurt, what he said. It wasn't like I expected much different. Still, the idea was crazy. The last few days were like little nails popping out of the coffin. Each one had me thinking more, imagining more. Inuyasha's appearance wasn't the only thing I liked about him. This wasn't just lust and desperation boiling together, this was an entirely different concoction all on its own.

It was fucking terrifying.

Inuyasha noticed my silence and sighed softly, looking back down at my lips. "If only it would bury itself when I was half-demon, then there'd be less problems."

I wanted to scream, _what problems_? But the only thing that was suddenly racing through my mind was the fact that _those feelings_ he shouldn't have weren't limited to his human self.

Then suddenly my mind was blank as Inuyasha's soft lips grazed mine. It was barely there, the slightest of heat, but nothing had me instantly so hot. I pressed an inch closer, not wanting to move, not wanting to hurt him. Nothing could happen tonight. Nothing could even move forward from this. But his lips were moving against my own, slick warm heat and tantalizing licks that made me sigh the moment it disappeared.

My eyes remained closed, heavy-lidded. Slowly I came back, looking at some point on his shoulder instead of his face. "But you're human and that...kiss...couldn't have helped."

Inuyasha gave a small sound that resembled a laugh and a bark. "That's really not the issue."

"Then what is?" I asked, wanting to close my eyes again, just leave the night like it was because it shouldn't change – not after that.

Silence loomed for only seconds before Inuyasha sighed. "I didn't think I'd have to spell it out," he said, more gentle than I had ever heard him. "I'm more demon and you're more angel. Evil versus the good. I'm from Hell and you're from, well, Heaven."

Something made me think that that wasn't the problem, or the _only_ problem. The thing was I wanted to sleep. Now that I knew Inuyasha would be fine and that things were...in a strange sort of limbo that had the potential to make my head and heart hurt, I just wanted to be gone.

"I'll be fine," he insisted quietly, his right hand lightly reaching out to touch my left one. "Go to sleep. Shit can wait until tomorrow."

"All of it?" I murmured, already feeling the blackness starting to creep around the edges.

Inuyasha squeezed my hand and instead of waiting for him to answer, I merely let all the problems wash away as the cool blanket of darkness wrapped around me.

* * *

**Feedback is love, limited to 10,000 characters.**


	25. The Devil You Know

**Warning: **Explicit sexual content. Message me if you want information on location to bypass it.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Five: The Devil You Know**

* * *

"_When will I find strength to bring me release? And tell me where is the love in what your prophet has said? Man, it sounds to me just like a prison for the walking dead and I've got a message for you and your twisted Hell: you better turn around."_

_-Eternal Life, Our Lady Peace_

* * *

My cell phone alarm woke me up.

It was annoying, high-pitched and way too cheerful for my current tastes. I had to have been sleeping for only a few hours. What time did I set my alarm again? _Six_, right.

Fuck.

I didn't want to open my eyes.

The shifting of weight on the bed had me instantly freezing, forcing me to remember what the hell happened last night. The forest, the wolf demons, the fighting and Inuyasha getting seriously hurt. Bandaging him, waiting for him to wake up, refusing to fall asleep, Inuyasha's brown eyes, _his lips were moving against my own, slick warm heat..._

Holy hell.

Now I definitely wasn't going to open my eyes.

"I know you're awake wench, turn off your _fucking_ alarm," Inuyasha hissed, the movement on the bed jolting my eyes open.

I instantly reached out for my cell phone, having to stretch farther because it was on the other side – the side where _my_ bed was. Oh my god, I was in Inuyasha's bed. I actually fell asleep here after we kissed and–

And I needed to stop acting like some teenage girl. Yes, we kissed. It was amazing, though short. We should do it again, test the waters more.

"About fucking time," Inuyasha mumbled, the sound muffled by his pillow.

Okay, so maybe not. Maybe I should just roll into my other bed and stay there buried. With all the crap I'd have to deal with – Miroku and Sango, a bleeding Inuyasha, the cops, the _kiss_ – it just wasn't worth it. Not right now. Not at six in the morning.

There was a hard poke to my shoulder and I glared at Inuyasha through slotted eyes. "You're lucky you're in pain or I'd smack you."

Inuyasha huffed, his face still covered by the pillow until he looked up. There were a few things I noted: the ruffled black hair, the sleepy eyes, _the gold_– "Barely a scratch anymore," he mumbled, scrunching up his face before diving his head back into the pillow.

"You're normal again," I murmured, somewhat surprised despite the fact he told me last night. Rolling onto my side, I inched close and poked him, urging the half-demon to roll over. He was on his stomach, which had to be a good sign because if it was still bleeding and cut he wouldn't be able to do that.

"Leave m'alone," Inuyasha grumbled.

"Roll your ass over," I ordered, shoving him a bit harder. When he finally obliged, I practically gaped at what I saw.

At some point in the night he had obviously removed the bloodied bandages. His chest and stomach merely had some angry red lines, as if someone had just scratched him with their nails. There were a couple that looked more wounded – the stitches were still in but absolutely useless now. He was practically healed. "Son of a bitch," I whispered. "How lucky are you to heal so fast?"

"They weren't _that_ bad," Inuyasha said roughly. "The fucking mangy wolf just wanted to sink his damn claws in me. Too bad I was human or I would've ripped him to shreds."

Ignoring the last part, I lightly traced my hands over the red lines. "How long until you fully heal?"

"Tonight probably," he answered, shrugging. "The worst of it by tomorrow morning for sure."

I continued my path along his torso, completely amazed by the transformation. Last night, Inuyasha had been bloody and broken. I was freaking because I wasn't sure if he was going to be alright. I had to use so many wash cloths and so many towels to make sure he didn't lose that much blood. And now there was practically no trace of it – of the fear, the desperation, the shake of my hand in the stitches.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha's voice was deep, more than just sleep-rough and I stopped, looking at him worried. We hadn't exactly talked about last night. What the hell was going to happen now? Dammit, I wasn't prepared enough for this. "We should get going, right?"

I pulled back my hand and nodded. Touching wasn't a good option. Did Inuyasha even remember last night? If being human for him was like me being drunk, did that mean he could black out? I just realized that I didn't know shit about this transformation bit, besides the new moon part. Standing off the bed, I quickly glanced at Inuyasha who was staring right back. His eyes were normal again, that searing gold that made me hesitate, wait.

Inuyasha frowned. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," I said, albeit a bit faintly. Now was not the time to drudge up last night. We had to get moving from Stillwater, as soon as possible. "I have your duffel in here, so grab a shirt while I go get Miroku and Sango."

I was already headed towards the door, hand outreached for the knob when Inuyasha's body pressed against mine, spinning me. With a jolt I tensed, reaction kicking in even as Inuyasha lowered his head down so his eyes were level with mine.

"Don't be stupid," he whispered, face inching closer, his nose brushing against my cheek.

I didn't move. Hell, I didn't dare move. Inuyasha didn't seem much inclined to do anything more than smirk, pulling away before grabbing his bag and going into the bathroom.

_Don't be stupid_. What the hell did that mean?

I waited for a minute to calm down, willing my heart beat to slow and breaths to even out. When I felt ready to face to world – or at least my friends – I opened the door and walked over to their room. The sun was tinting the horizon, pink and orange covering the sky. Staring at it, I absentmindedly knocked on their door. And then I knocked again. And again.

"Goddammit Kagome, I'm _sleeping_," Sango hissed, looking far less dangerous than she sounded with her eyes closed and her body tilting sleepily to the side.

"We need to get moving," I replied, gently pushing past her until I was by the king-sized bed where Miroku was busy drooling. Picking up a pillow, I smacked him in the face with it. "Rise and shine Miroku!"

The blue-eyed man woke with a start, glaring at me through unfocused eyes. "Is it time to go?"

"Time to go," I agreed, barely holding my laughter when I saw Sango practically sleeping against the wall. "Come on Sango."

"Fuck you," she whispered, letting it come out more like a yawn.

"How's Inuyasha?" Miroku asked quietly, sliding out of bed in just his boxers. I didn't particularly mind, although it wasn't something I _enjoyed_. It was better than him naked though, which was more or less what I expected from them. "Do you need help switching his bandages?"

"No," I replied, shaking my head. "He's back to being half-demon and almost completely healed. It's...amazing." It could still picture the red lines, not so much angry and bothered crossing over his chest. "I need to remove the stitches already."

Miroku was sliding on pants, pausing when he heard. His dark brows rose suspiciously. "Really?"

"Really, I saw it myself and checked them out."

"Checked who out?" Sango came out of nowhere, waddling to Miroku and resting against him.

"She's going to sleep on you," I pointed out.

Miroku sighed. "And given any other time, I really wouldn't mind. Normally I have to wake her up with promises of..." Noting my reaction, he paused and then grinned, "Sex – since we're all adults and clearly you know that we're fucking."

I groaned and turned away. "Get dressed and ready to go in _five minutes_. And don't you dare try for a quickie because dammit Miroku, have a bit of self-preservation."

I was almost out the door when I heard Sango mumble in her semi-conscious state. "Fuck self-preservation."

Who was worse: the half-demon or the lovebirds?

Taking a deep breath, I let it out in a curse and then headed back to my own motel room. Inuyasha was already out of the bathroom, seemingly packed and ready to go. He was reading a newspaper, head bowed down enough that I could see the distinct silver roots. I wasn't sure how I felt about him being half-demon rather than human. The half-demon side of him was the one I was attracted to but the human side was something to wonder about. Inuyasha was like a closed book, guarding and self-preserved with tiny glimpses if you looked into his eyes in those few seconds that he slipped.

"Take a picture," Inuyasha muttered, just loud enough so I could hear.

I rolled my eyes and headed to the bathroom. Clearly the whole whispering-in-my-ear-and-pressing-me-into-the-wall thing wasn't going to be discussed either. Or the kiss. Inuyasha was like a ticking time bomb of red and blue wires. Pull the red one and you get the witty remarks, pull the blue one and you get hot promises in your ear. Either way, something was going to explode sooner or later.

I got ready in seconds, finishing up in the bathroom and then packing my duffel. When I was finished, Inuyasha was flipping through the paper still, his clawed fingers tapping at the corners. "Anything interesting in there?"

"I'm looking for more hunts," Inuyasha replied easily, putting it down for a second before looking at me. "When did you get the paper, last night?"

I frowned. "While you were bleeding to death beside me? Yeah right, idiot. It was probably already in the room from the last person or whatever."

"With yesterday's date?" Inuyasha's sceptical voice had me suddenly paying attention, trying to piece together how we randomly got a newspaper in our room. We've had it booked for days.

"No one came in while I was with Sango and Miroku, right? There's blood everywhere," I said, coming up with the only explanation I could think of.

Inuyasha banged his head against the wall in his effort to look up, an exasperated expression crossing his face. "Yeah wench, that's why I asked you if you got the paper ten seconds ago."

He had a point.

"Give me that," I snapped, crossing between our beds and snatching the thick newspaper. It was called the _Star Tribune_ and from what I could tell it was one of the main ones that were sold through a couple towns. I flipped through the pages, a feeling of urgency settling in. There was something..._something_... I couldn't explain it, other than it was like someone was pressuring me. It was like something was tightening around my chest, a big band that was making me move, making me _hurry_.

_I will, however, leave you with something to help you along. Time is running out Kagome, you must hurry..._ The memory jarred me, my hands still from leafing through the pages. Midoriko the angel did this.

The imaginary band vanished, the sense of urgency gone. I was frozen to the spot, stuck on some black and grey page and unable to overcome the feeling that something was happening here. Suddenly hands were in front of my face, snapping to get my attention.

"Hey, hey, what the hell is going on?" Inuyasha asked softly, eyes narrowed in confusion.

Giving myself just a moment to breathe, I tilted my head up to look at him. "I'm not too sure," I replied honestly.

"I've been yelling at you for the past couple of minutes. You were _hyperventilating_ while looking at a damn newspaper!" Inuyasha scowled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Just..." Shaking my head, I looked over the page to see the classifieds. The page on the right held all of the obituaries. "Something is here, in the newspaper," I said quietly. I backed up until I was sitting on the bed, paper in my lap as I examined each and every death.

"What?" Inuyasha exclaimed. "You think something is in there? Like what?"

It was the second obit I saw, a remembrance piece with a picture of a young man with long dark hair and the coldest stare. _Remembering Onigumo Yanaka, never forgotten._

"Inuyasha," I whispered, unable to believe it, unable to really think past the name. "Holy shit Inuyasha, look."

The half-demon stared worriedly at a moment, waiting until I practically rubbed it in his face before he took it. A look of concentration steadily bled into something I couldn't recognize, a blankness so still it seemed completely out of place. Practically the moment it came it was gone, covered by surprise and shock. "It's him, that's the guy right? That's who Astaroth wants you to find."

I nodded, reading the article with Inuyasha hovering over my shoulder. It was nothing more than a short few sentences about a man who enjoyed life, loved teaching and was always striving for more. He had been gone for five years. _Love for always..._

Glancing at Inuyasha, I could see that he was thinking the same thing. Onigumo had parents. We needed to find them.

An abrupt knock on the door had me putting the paper down. Sango and Miroku were ready on the other side, bags in hand and frowning. Miroku stepped inside first, dark blue eyes trained on the half-demon as he efficiently tugged up Inuyasha's shirt. "She really wasn't lying," he murmured, studying the plains of his chest.

I almost took offense to that. Why the hell would I lie about something so important? Then again, I kind of got distracted on the body in front of me.

"That's incredible," Sango agreed, voice pretty flat. Of course, her eyes were only half-open and she was leaning on Miroku heavily now that she had crossed the threshold into the room. "I need coffee."

"Everyone needs coffee," I agreed. "And there's been a change of plans, Inuyasha and I have another case."

Miroku looked at me incredulously. "Excuse me?"

I sighed, grabbing my duffel bag and standing by the door. We were going to need a lot of coffee before getting out of this one.

* * *

"You ready for this?"

Inuyasha's golden stare pierced mine. "You're really going to ask that? Hello, half-demon here."

"And last night you were just a pitiful human," I murmured, tsking lightly. "It was quite the shame." It wasn't, not at all. But things between us were...normal. _Better_ than normal, but still normal. Despite the heated words back in the motel when I was going to wake up Miroku and Sango, nothing had happened.

Much.

Having breakfast with Miroku and Sango was a flurry of questions and analysis. I had told them part of the Onigumo story last time we met at Boomerang's but things had evolved since then. I had talked to Midoriko once more, who was the one – I was more than sure – that had sent the paper on its heavenly way towards me. Now questions came as to what we were going to do, what was going to work, and how we were going to approach this.

"Go in as feds," Miroku had stated, chewing grossly at some sort of pretend-meat concoction. "Get the story, get out."

"It's a remembrance article, there's no reason for it," I answered, shaking my head. "I need to check up on it more, figure out what went on when he died."

And I did. After Miroku and Sango left, heading back towards Maine, Inuyasha and I had driven the short thirty minute drive and stopped at some inn. It was clean enough and before settling in I booted up my laptop and waited for it to be ready.

Inuyasha had thrown his duffel somewhere, staring at it for a moment. He turned suddenly, looking at me with a tilt of the head. I could only look at him back. Nothing had been said and what was I going to do? I sure as hell wasn't going to bring it up. There was no telling what could happen, and I only wanted to approach something like this if I knew _all _of the options.

And then he smirked. The half-demon standing in front of me smirked and stared. "So what do you want to do?"

"Um, research?" I asked. It was definitely a question. No, no it couldn't be. "Research," I repeated, more sure.

"Interesting."

HOW WAS THAT INTERESTING? "It is?" No, bad Kagome. "It is."

"Have fun then, I'm just going to check what's around the area."

I nodded. "Alright, let me know if you notice anything." I waited, watching for him to leave but he didn't. He just _smirked_ at me. "Is there something I'm missing?"

And then suddenly Inuyasha was there, beside me on the bed with that stupid look on his face. My hands touched his chest to push him back but instead they stayed, unmoving. Crap.

"I'll be back," he murmured softly. He bent down so that his lips were just millimetres from mine. I could feel the puff of breath splash across my lips and I sat there, frozen. I stared into his eyes, looking for any sort of clue as to what was going to happen, what was okay in this newfound, extremely strange thing we had going on.

All I saw was a wicked glint in his eye before his lips just _barely_ touched my own and then he was out the door, demon-speed in full use. Dammit.

Right then everything had become clear. He was _teasing _me, but not in a mocking sort of way. He was drawing everything out, making the both of us burn. Eventually one of us was going to break. Inuyasha was probably counting on it to be me.

I groaned. There was a good chance I would too. That bastard.

The research I had turned up had been very interesting, if not a bit difficult to find at first. Onigumo Yanaka was a thirty-four year-old mythology professor working at a nearby university. Five years ago, there had been a strange phone call to the police that led officers to Onigumo's house. What they found wasn't promising. There had been enough blood in the house – his blood – to make the chances that he'd survived whatever had happened slim to none. The police never found out who did it, they didn't know how it happened or why it happened. There was just a big house full of buckets of blood and a missing person who had yet to return and was most likely dead.

Onigumo's parents had obviously stopped looking, if the way the article found in the obituary section said anything.

"So you know the plan," I murmured, looking at the half-demon pointedly. "You know what to look for? I told you very specifically earlier what I'm looking for. If I had more faith in your people-skills, I'd rather be doing your part."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me. "I'm not five. I'm more than capable of this, wench."

"Bite me, asshole," I grumbled, opening the car door when there was a sudden pinch on my arm. I whipped my head around immediately, but when I looked Inuyasha was already pushing his way out the door and the pain was gone. I sat there in slight shock. "He actually bit me," I muttered, unbelieving.

"Are you coming or am I going to die of old age first?" Inuyasha yelled, glaring at me from outside.

_I'm going to kill him_, I thought to myself, unable to help it. The half-demon was unbelievable.

Climbing out of the Corvette, I fiddled with my light jacket and led the way up towards the porch. It was afternoon, the sun high in the sky but doing little to stop the chill of the air. Autumn had settled in hard and fast in St. Paul, Minnesota. I cringed at the thought that winter would soon be on its way. Knocking on the door, I looked over to Inuyasha, who had moved to the far side of the property. The half-demon nodded at me, smirking ever-so-slightly before vanishing into the backyard.

I was brought back when the door opened and a small woman with dark features and wrinkled skin stood there, a hesitant smile on her face. I did my best to look young and earnest. I had a job to do after all.

"Mrs. Yanaka?" I asked gently, putting my hand out there. "My name is Ruri Shima and I'm a journalist with _Parker's Magazine_. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a few moments about your son's – Onigumo's – accomplishments in mythological study."

The woman seemed a bit dumbfounded, a frown marring her features for only a moment before her husband stepped in behind her. He welcomed me carefully, listening as his wife repeated the request. Finally he smiled and gestured for me to walk in, his hand flagging me towards the living room.

"Would you like something to drink?" Mrs. Yanaka asked.

"No thank you," I answered. "I don't want to waste much of your precious time." _Of course, I think your son is involved in a war between Heaven and Hell, so it's the least you could do…_ Right, like I should say that. "I want to write a piece about your son Onigumo, and how his work in both study and lecturing has impacted mythological research. He was quite brilliant."

Mr. Yanaka grinned, sitting down on a love seat with his hands on his knees. "Onigumo loved it since he was a kid," the father boasted. "I remember coming home some days after work, and he'd be sitting in the living room here reading _encyclopaedias _about gods and goddesses – every piece of mythology he could find."

"I used to bring him to the bookstore all the time," Mrs. Yanaka added quietly. "He was so very fascinated by it all."

I nodded, gently smiling. "I'm curious, what did he study the most of? I know when he taught, the courses were based on all sorts of lore. Did he have a sort of private specialty?"

"Oh yes," Mrs. Yanaka replied. "Well, only as he grew older. I think the common myths about the gods started to bore him. The stories were so very complex but typically involving the same themes." She hummed to herself. "In the end, I remember he started to focus on more present lore."

Mr. Yanaka leaned forward a bit. "What kind of information did you want again?" he asked, tilting his head.

"I just wanted to get a perspective of his passion for it," I explained, trying to be as sincere as possible. "I realized that if there was someone who knew how much he enjoyed something, it would be his parents. So…what kind of present lore? Are you talking about modern day stories?"

Mrs. Yanaka shook her head. "No dear," she said softly. "He started to focus on more biblical references, the idea of Heaven in different cultures. _Angels_."

While her words bothered me, I tried to focus on the task. I had to give Inuyasha more time, but I didn't know how much he would need. We only got one shot at this. It needed to be perfect. "What intrigued him so much about them?"

"Oh I don't remember," she answered, shrugging. "He used to comment all the time about how they touched people. It used to go over my head."

Mr. Yanaka grinned again. "You try to keep up but there gets to be a point where their knowledge is so far beyond yours. Getting old doesn't help."

I laughed, making sure to ask a few more questions. Inuyasha had to be done by now. It took another twenty minutes of conversation, gentle probing and vague questions, but eventually I was able to leave without being suspicious. The older couple looked almost sad as I stood up, and I couldn't imagine the grief that they had gone through – _were _going through.

When I sat back down in my yellow Corvette at the side of the road, I started it and waited. Long black locks suddenly crowded the passenger side and before I could comment Inuyasha was smirking at me. "Jackpot," he announced, raising a brow.

Pulling away from the street, I started to head back to the motel with no regard to the speed limit. "You found something?"

"I took me forever, but I did," Inuyasha explained, holding up a well-used black book. "I don't know those people but they obviously never got any closure. They have a whole room dedicated to his crap."

I glared at him, rolling my eyes when it was obviously having no impact. "They never found his body Inuyasha. Hope like that…it doesn't just go away."

"He's been gone for five years," Inuyasha said, leaning back in the seat and huffing. "With the blood they found, they'd be stupid to think he was alive."

I bit my lower lip, trying to ignore his words. It's not like I could blame him for what he was thinking – _hell_, I agreed. It just…struck a nerve. People could have hope like that. Just because the odds were really high, it didn't mean that loved ones were gone forever. There could always be hope. Always.

And when the coppery taste of blood splashed on my tongue, I cursed. That was _not _ignoring at its finest.

"Wench, what the hell did you just do?" Inuyasha snapped, turning around in the seat to glare at me. His amber eyes were dissecting me, I could tell. I pointedly kept my gaze out the window, tonguing the cut in hopes that the blood would cease. "Why are you bleeding?" the half-demon pressed.

"Nothing." I didn't mean for it to sound so sharp, but it did.

Inuyasha raised a brow. "Really, nothing. How come I don't believe you? You on your cycle or something? You look rather mad right now and I _swear _I didn't do anything that wasn't awesome as of recent."

_Don't say it. Don't say it_. "I'm fine," I stated, mentally praising myself. "And no, I am not _on my cycle_, you douche."

"So what, it's me talking that irritates you?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" I snapped, sparing him a brief glance and then looking back out the windshield. _Don't look at him_, I told myself. His eyes were so intent on me.

"All I was saying is that his parents are idiots to believe that the guy is coming back." Inuyasha kept talking, his voice steady. I grit my teeth, knowing he was doing this on purpose. He was trying to find out what he did, the bastard. If he kept going on, he soon would. "I mean, they found bucket-loads of blood on the floor that all belonged to him. He's been gone for five years. The guy is as dead as dead can be."

I took a deep breath. I counted to ten.

Inuyasha opened his mouth again. "I don't get humans and their silly little fantasies–"

"_Fuck you_," I yelled, stomping on the gas and speeding even closer to our motel. Why weren't we there yet? Why did it seem so much longer getting back?

"Excuse me?" Inuyasha demanded, growling.

"I said _fuck you_ and I'm going to say it again!" I heaved a breath, trying to calm down, trying to remember that while I mentioned it before he surely wouldn't piece the two together.

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Pleasant, wench."

"It's _me_, okay?" I snapped, clutching the steering wheel with white knuckles. "That person that's missing for years, with the odds against their survival? That's me."

I couldn't see the half-demon's expression, I was staring at the road ahead of me so hard it hurt my eyes. He quieted down though, listening. Waiting.

"I told you, that when I was eighteen I was suddenly _gifted_," I spat. "My father _died_ trying to protect me. The demons killed him because he wouldn't tell them where I was. Hell, he didn't even know what he was _up against_!" The last words, I knew, were beyond screeching levels. I couldn't help it. "So my father died, with his last words on the phone with me telling me to run away. And you know, I still have a family Inuyasha. I have a mother and a brother. I _had _a mother and a brother. They think I'm dead. I helped them to believe I'm dead. For weeks they _looked out the damn window_ for me. So you can say all the shit you want about his parents being too stupid to believe, but that's _my _life. The only difference is that I'm actually alive and breathing, not dead like they think."

Inuyasha was hesitant a moment longer. "Kagome, I–"

"Save it," I interrupted, gently. He didn't deserve all the yelling. He didn't know, probably didn't remember from that one drunken time at Boomerang's over a month ago. "I know."

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha sometimes wished that he could tape his mouth shut. It didn't happen often, but there were definitely moments where he wanted to take something back. This was one of those times.

Actually, he was pretty sure that the whole wanting-to-take-it-back thing only started after he met the demon slayer named Kagome Higurashi. Inuyasha tried really hard not to think about that.

The problem was that he _had _to. He didn't have a choice. He _kissed _her. Not only that, but since the previous night, it had been him who initiated what little taunts occurred. He pushed her against the door that morning because he knew of the uncertainty that was flying in her mind. He told her 'don't be stupid' because she was probably talking herself out of it all.

Inuyasha didn't want her to. That was mistake number one.

Then right before he wanted to check out St. Paul, he nearly had his way with her on the bed. _Hell_, he wished he had his way with her. She had been looking so frazzled from lack of sleep but her eyes were still intent on her laptop, trying to find a solution to the Onigumo puzzle piece. She looked amazing despite everything.

Inuyasha wanted to show her how amazing she was. That was mistake number two.

Now, as the Corvette slowed into the parking lot, he waited for Kagome to shut off the engine so they could remove their duffels from the trunk. He watched as she got out, body stiff and tense like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. It had been because he opened his _damn_ mouth and didn't shut it. Inuyasha sighed and followed behind her.

The motel room was just like all the others: peeling wallpaper, mysterious stains and rough but clean enough bed sheets. He took the bed that she didn't, flopping down and clutching the black book that was still in his hands. It had been what he removed from the Onigumo shrine at the Yanaka household. Out of all the books on the shelves and all the journals, this one was by far the worst for wear. There were so many lines in the spine it was nearly falling apart, and after closer inspection he found black-inked scribble all over some of the margins. It was Onigumo's handwriting, he was sure of it.

"So what's the book about?" Kagome asked. Her face was still a bit too tight, eyes a little sharper than normal, but Inuyasha would accept being talked to.

"Some Latin crap," he mumbled. "_Ater Atra Atrum_."

Kagome frowned for a moment before sighing deeply. "The Yanaka's were totally wrong."

"What?" Inuyasha handed over the black book when she reached out for it, letting his fingers brush against hers. He ignored the way the touch almost sparked something in him, like _need_. He couldn't feel like that. Not when he was so close.

"Dark," Kagome answered, flipping through the pages. "I know this book – or I've heard of it. When I was talking to Onigumo's parents earlier, they mentioned how he was studying lore on angels. I don't think that's the case. I think he was looking on the other side of the coin."

"Demonology?" Inuyasha asked, smirking. "So what, you have this mythology professor who's kind of started to fall off the right track. What does this have to do with the jewel though?"

"I don't know," Kagome replied. "He's written inside this, almost every single page. Let me try and sort some of it out. There has to be something in here."

So Inuyasha let her. He lied back on his own bed and stared at the ceiling while Kagome silently read. All he could hear was her soft, gentle breathing and the occasional ruffle of paper when she flipped the page. He wanted to stop her – right here, right now – and just _stop_. He wanted to get her attention, get her to do something else.

_With him_.

Inuyasha winced. No. It couldn't be. He couldn't have fallen for Kagome Higurashi. The kiss earlier? It was his pathetic and horribly human state ruining everything for him, as per usual.

"_This is what I shouldn't be feeling. This shouldn't be there… If only it would bury itself when I was half-demon, then there'd be less problems…"_

He was a fucking idiot. There was no way he had feelings for her, not at all. He had a plan for fuck's sake and he had to follow the plan. It had failed once before and it was _not _going to fail again.

He'd make sure of it.

Inuyasha pushed with that thought, went along with it. He started to imagine it happening, how everything would go down. He'd get what he needed, thanks to Kagome, and then finally his years of problems would be solved. And when Kagome was at her weakest, when she was confused and betrayed, he would kill her.

Inuyasha would kill Kagome without a second thought.

_No_. Why was he suddenly nauseous? Why did the thought of doing this suddenly bother him? He had been waiting for this _forever_. He deserved it. This was why he started the entire scheme in the first place. He didn't just barge in on her life for no reason. He planned. He waited. He found the perfect candidate in Kagome, made all the more sweet by Heaven's little _gift_.

And that's when it hit him.

The reason he was feeling this way wasn't because he suddenly didn't want what he'd been working on for years. No. The reason he was feeling so uptight, so strangely unsettled? It was because he couldn't do this to Kagome. He couldn't kill her.

Inuyasha closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

It was obvious. He couldn't deny it, Inuyasha wasn't that stupid. Along the way, along the twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for over a month now, Inuyasha had fallen for Kagome. Not love. Just something that could turn _into_ it, if he let it grow.

But he wouldn't.

Inuyasha opened his eyes and glared at the ceiling. He reminded himself of everything he had gone through. He thought about all the times he had been torn down, only to force himself to rebuild again. He told himself how he had dedicated _everything _to this plan. This was his key.

This was going to be his _life_.

With a strong swallow and the overwhelming urge to run, Inuyasha forced himself to face the truth of the situation.

No matter what, Inuyasha had to kill Kagome Higurashi.

Or she would kill him first.

* * *

I had several opinions about Onigumo.

The first was that his handwriting? Absolute garbage. Two year-olds could scribble better than that and still make sense. It boggled my mind. How was this guy a _teacher_?

The second thing was that Onigumo was definitely into some dark shit. _Ater Atra Atrum _was all about the power of demons, the way that demons functioned (according to the author, who I thought rather smugly, was usually wrong).

The third thing, and the biggest thing, was that there were some rituals that were legitimate and extremely powerful. More powerful than I had ever really seen before. What made it horrible was that the pages with the spells had the most writing on it, with detailed accounts about certain events I couldn't quite understand.

By the time I skimmed through most of it an hour later, I figured out what was going on. It hit me the moment I saw the words _Shikon no Tama_.

Holy fucking shit.

"Inuyasha?" I tried to keep my voice normal, but it was rather difficult. This explained the sudden disappearance, the extreme amounts of blood. This _right here_…

This was the key.

"What?" His voice was strained, ragged almost, and I would've frowned at him and asked about it had I not just figured out _everything_.

"I know what happened to Onigumo," I explained, pushing to the edge of the bed. I flattened the black book, pushing at one of the pages that threatened to fall out. "Do you see this? It's a ritual about embodiment. It's dark and extremely powerful."

Inuyasha tilted his head up, groaning before slowly sitting his body up and beside me. His head was right over my shoulder and I could feel his warm breath on my neck. I shivered, and fought to keep on track. "I kind of recognize it," he murmured, a clawed finger tracing the faded print. "It's a calling to demons where a human sacrifices themselves so that a demon can control them."

"But it's worse," I added, flipping the page and pointing at a rather childish picture. It was of a man being torn apart by vague black figures. "In this case, there isn't just one demon that invades the human body. This ritual is meant for a complete takeover. The human sacrifices their soul to Hell, but in return gains the power of all the demons that inhibits the body. For it to work fully, a thousand demons must be consumed, and then the human will become a demon of sorts, only extremely powerful. The thing is that the demons who inhibit the body become part of the transformation, so the human needs to lure them with something powerful. Something that makes destruction of their own self worth it."

Inuyasha turned his head to look at me, dead in the eye. "The Shikon no Tama."

"Bingo," I answered. "See his scribbles?" I pointed to a particularly dark spot of blotched ink. "It's hard to read but I'm positive this is what he did. He labelled it _Naraku_."

The half-demon groaned. "Otherwise translated to Hell or complete evil."

I shut the book, standing up. My feet walked along the short, worn carpet. "Okay, so this mythology professor gets into weird shit, like you said. He's started to study demonology, is intrigued by it and then finds this book."

"_Ater Atra Atrum_," Inuyasha added.

I nodded. "He finds it and then finds this ritual that promises power and evil and destruction, everything that he's found enchanting since he was a kid when he learned about the twisted and all mighty ways of gods and goddesses."

"He performs that ritual and a few demons inhibit his body, tearing him up until he physically reforms," Inuyasha continued. "His blood pools all over his apartment."

"He realizes that he needs one thousand demons to complete the ritual," I went on. "So for five years he's been trying to accomplish this. He finds the Shikon no Tama, a jewel so powerful that it can disrupt the balance between Heaven and Hell. He uses it to his own advantages, and when he becomes fully demon, he'll go about breaking down the good."

"And then Heaven intervenes, there's war. The demons are part of him, Hell has to fight too. It's a war that no one wants–"

"Jus the lackeys," I finished. I grinned hard at Inuyasha, whose golden eyes were watching me. "We make an amazing team."

A small half-smile formed on his lips. I could've sworn it looked almost bitter. "Yeah, we do."

Suddenly, there was a rather loud clapping noise that didn't belong. I swung around, the demon radar in my head blaring at unbearable levels. There was Astaroth, grinning at me with big white teeth and slicked back midnight hair. His skin was still that dark olive tone, eyes red and piercing. He was a demon, looked like a demon, _annoyed _like a demon.

"Hello my darling star!" Astaroth cheered, the accented lilt in his voice sounding almost like a melody. "I've been watching you and I must say, well done."

"What have I said about calling me your _star_?" I hissed, legs bent, tensed and ready to fight.

Inuyasha already had the right idea. He was in the air, leaping with his hands outstretched towards the duke of Hell before he went flying back into the bed, body struggling. "You _fucker_!"

"Inuyasha, you always astound me. Still around I see, I guess it's only a matter of time." Astaroth hummed, stepping closer to me. "So you have news about finding the jewel? Onigumo?"

"I know what's going on," I corrected, tilting my chin up stubbornly. In my head I calculated all the possibilities for attack. No matter how I looked at it, I would never get close enough to have the jump on him. He'd catch me in a moment and use his demonic powers to bind to me to the floor. "Onigumo was a human and he performed a ritual. He's using the Shikon no Tama to lure demons, and once he reaches a thousand of them, he'll become full."

Astaroth nodded, looking thoughtful. "Luring demons…interesting idea, I guess. So he's not using the jewel to gather an army."

"_He's _the army," I explained, shaking my head. "Once this ritual is complete, he'll be strong. He'll be impossible to beat. There would need to be heavy divine intervention."

"And we don't want that now, do we?" Astaroth asked, sounding rather cheerful. "The winged bastards take away all the fun."

"If it comes down to it, you might need their help."

The duke of Hell scoffed, shaking his head at me pitifully. "My star, you have so much to learn about politics. However, your information is useful. I've been searching this time to find large groupings of demons under Onigumo's control. Now I see it's the opposite."

"Kagome," Inuyasha hissed from the bed, "can you please _kill_ him?"

"Now, now," Astaroth soothed, flicking his wrist. Inuyasha was suddenly sitting up, chest heaving and growls spilling out of his throat. "We're on the same team, remember? And star, you know you can come our way. I can promise you that Hell will keep their promises about protection and safety. I know Heaven still has yet to free you."

I shook my head fiercely. "We've been over this and the answer is no."

"Pity." Astaroth sighed dramatically and took a step back. "Well I shall return when I get a location. Be good you two, and Inuyasha? Don't be _stupid_."

I realized that he was about to disappear so I lunged forward, catching the barest hint of fabric from his clothing before it deteriorated in my hands. I cursed, running a hand through my dark hair. "I really hate him."

"At least he doesn't shove you against solid fucking objects," Inuyasha spat, still looking rather pissed.

Shaking my head, I stifled the giggle I wanted to let out and returned to the bed opposite from him. "So this is what we do now, we keep looking for Onigumo?"

The half-demon on the bed didn't look at me, eyes trained on the wallpaper in front of him. He nodded, a slight tilt that was barely noticeable. "Yes, we go and find Onigumo. You get the jewel and restore whatever order there is to be restored. Then, we make sure that Heaven lets you go."

I smiled. "Sounds like a good plan." When Inuyasha only made a noise that could be interpreted as bitter, I frowned. "What's going on with you? You look like someone kicked your puppy."

"I'm a dog demon Kagome. Must you make references to puppies?" Inuyasha growled.

That wasn't an answer. "Inuyasha–"

And damn him, he used it again. His demon speed had him suddenly right in front of me, nose inches away from mine. His cheeks were flushed, golden eyes intent.

"Inuyasha," I tried again.

His lips, warm and soothing, slid against mine. This wasn't the kiss from last night. This was strong and forceful, not the slightest bit hesitant. His hands were on my shoulders, pushing me backwards so I could crawl to the centre before lying down. Everything instantly felt hot, my pulse picking up and hammering double time.

But he was hiding something. Something was wrong with him. "Wait, Inu–"

"Kagome," the half-demon interrupted, pulling away only the tiniest bit. I could feel his warm breath splash across my lips, his hot hands trailing down my sides over my top. "We are soon going to be fighting this human-demon fuck-up that wants to end the world. Can we not just have this, right now?" Inuyasha was panting gently, cheeks reddened. His hand suddenly cupped my face, sliding down to my chin to hold me in place. "Can we not just have _this_?"

And there was nothing I could say to him that wouldn't be a lie. Everything inside of me was screaming to arch up, kiss him, so I did. Inuyasha growled in the back of his throat, his whole chest vibrating with it as he slowly lowered down on top of me, fitting between my legs. His mouth was a slick heat against mine, tongue sliding against my lips, begging entrance

We weren't teenagers. This wasn't some fumble in the back of a car where neither of us knew what we were doing or what we wanted. There wasn't anything stopping us now, except the fact that this was new, fresh.

It didn't stop my hips from rocking, feeling the pressure of his hardened length on my lower stomach. I moaned, hands circling around him, teasing his long black strands as I pulled him impossibly closer.

"_Fuck_, Kagome," Inuyasha panted, breathing before kissing my jaw, nibbling with his sharp teeth along my neck. He was rocking down into me, hands fumbling to remove my sweater.

"What's taking so long?" I whispered out, trying not to sound as desperate as I really felt. There wasn't one thing that didn't feel amazing – not the rough, hot hands gliding along my bare stomach or the wet kisses along my neck.

"Shut up," Inuyasha shot back, biting down on my collarbone, leaving marks that he soothed away with licks.

"You would be a biter."

"You would be a _talker_."

I smiled, arching my back and helping him to finally get rid of the top and bra I was wearing. Inuyasha growled deeply, my hands feeling the sounds as they wound their way down his chest. "Off," I murmured, tugging on his t-shirt.

"Bossy." Inuyasha still removed it, coming down moments later and reclaiming my lips in even slicker heat. I gasped into the kiss, finding air and making noises I'd deny later as he licked his way inside my mouth. My hands felt along every bit of exposed skin I could touch – his back, ribs, stomach. I found the waistband of his jeans, going lower until I could feel him hard and heavy against my palm. I bit back the sound I wanted to make, the desperate, horrible sound that would only give away absolutely everything I wanted.

He rocked, steadily into my hand before groaning and pulling away, lips leaving mine to kiss down the valley of my breasts. He nosed at my bellybutton, licking just above the button of my jeans before all but ripping the offensive material off.

"Slow down there," I murmured, sounding absolutely wrecked. Everything about him, about this, felt undeniably perfect.

"Nuh uh," Inuyasha mumbled, shaking his head and letting the strands of hair tickle my bare skin. His teeth nibbled at my hipbone, fingers skirting up and down my thighs. If it didn't feel so good I'd hit him and tell him to be _on with it_ already. "Wasted enough time," he added, almost like an afterthought.

He looked up at me then, amber eyes searching for mere moments before he dipped back down and stared kissing every inch of exposed skin. He danced around my thong, paying extra attention to the very edges of it. I wanted to hit him, urge him on but could only tangle my fingers in his hair and ride out what little pleasure he dished out.

"Impatient as hell," Inuyasha whispered across my skin, and I could feel the grin on his lips.

"_Annoying_ as–" Whatever else I was going to say was lost in a moan, the feeling of his finger pushing aside my thong and teasing me almost unbearable. "I should purify you," I gasped.

Inuyasha looked up, face intense and I stared at him, let him watch the play of emotions across my face as he finally did what I was practically begging him for. One finger slide in, and it had been so long since any of this happened that I was already sounding wrecked beyond belief. He pumped, slowly and tauntingly, making me shift around restlessly, desperate to feel _more_.

"Shit Kagome," Inuyasha murmured, his voice so deep and low I barely heard it, barely acknowledged it. He sounded almost awed, and when he added another finger, starting to pump faster, crook harder, I nearly arched off the bed when he hit that spot. Every single nerve in my body was alight, unable to stop moving, not wanting the feeling of pleasure to end.

"Fuck," I murmured, letting out another moan, panting as he continued to tease, to rub that one spot that nearly made sparks flash behind my eyelids.

Inuyasha growled, his body suddenly leaning over. Before I could open my eyes and figure out what he was doing, wet heat encased my breast, tongue lapping and teeth nibbling. His fingers below slid out, hovering just around the entrance, making me almost sob with need. I'd call him out on it, say some names, but then he was pressing over my clit, a constant rubbing that had me arching my back, whispering profanities that probably didn't make sense.

Everything was hot, suddenly becoming too much and Inuyasha's name spilled across my lips. I could feel myself so close, so ready, so _desperate_–

In one quick motion his fingers pumped back in, thumb sliding over and over relentless on my clit, lips biting at my neck. All I could hear was my ragged breathing, the string of sounds that were attempted and forgotten words. It hit me like a shock, my whole body curling and going stiff with the pleasure. The shout of Inuyasha's name was lost, buried in the slick heat of his mouth as he claimed my lips and swallowed down the noise.

I tried to breathe, tried to refocus on the here and now. Inuyasha was leaning over me, forehead pressed against mine, golden eyes nearly hidden between heavy lids. I took deep shuddering breaths, relishing in the feel of orgasmic waves, letting everything relax. "Inuyasha," I whispered, staring into his golden orbs.

"You should _see_ yourself," Inuyasha whispered, kissing me, silencing anything I could say to that.

I moaned, pushing against him to pull away. The expression on his face was confused, shuttered, until I nipped his bottom lip and started to flip him over. "You should get something for that."

The growl that vibrated up from his chest was more than inviting, and my hand slid down his muscular body and the rough fabric of denim. He was hard, straining against the zipper, and I undid the button and fly as I kissed my way down his body, learning every dip and curve along smooth skin. His boxers did nothing to hide him, dick pressing urgently along the band. I leaned back on my heels, watching Inuyasha's flushed face as I tugged at the side of his jeans, bringing his boxers down along with as I slid them nearly off his legs. I straddled him around the knees, licking at his hips, bellybutton, anywhere and everywhere that wasn't exactly where he wanted it.

Inuyasha's groans were nothing but encouraging and I grinned, kissing lower and lower, licking a long stripe along the side of his cock. No, we weren't teenagers. We were adults and we sure as hell knew what we were doing.

"You fucking _tease_," Inuyasha complained, voice breathy and deep.

I laughed slightly, sitting up and letting my fingers dance across the hot skin. "I'm sorry, and what was it you were doing to me earlier?"

Inuyasha groaned again, golden eyes hiding behind closed eyelids. I took the chance while he wasn't looking, bending down and licking him from base to tip, listening to the fucked out noises the half-demon made. Wrapping my hand around him, I stripped him once, twice, and then sank my lips down over him, feeling the heavy weight on my tongue.

"_Fucking fuck, fuck_," Inuyasha spat, hands suddenly coming to my head and grabbing my hair. His grip was tight, wild and I swirled my tongue around the tip before taking him, as much as I could little by little. I hollowed my cheeks and slid up and down, the hot heat in my mouth getting wetter, easier.

Inuyasha thrust his hips up and I swallowed around him, feeling him press against the back of my throat, pulling back slightly and then going back down again. Over and over, Inuyasha mumbling such profanity the neighbours were probably scarred from that _alone_. His hand pushed at my head, grip on my hair almost painfully tight as he got closer and closer, more wild and unabashed.

"Kagome, Kagome," he whispered, over and over like a mantra. I licked along his length, swirling around, catching the small drops of release before hollowing out and going down, taking all of him, listening to the catch of breath, feeling the clench of muscle underneath me. I pulled back slightly, just as Inuyasha's orgasm hit him and he growled, hips weakly thrusting upwards as he rode out his release.

Deep, shuddering breaths later and I was pulling off, licking my lips and crawling back up his body slowly.

"Fuck," Inuyasha mumbled, sounding more asleep than conscious. His hands cupped my face, smoothed down my sides and then wrapped around me until I was flush against his body.

"I take it you feel okay," I said teasingly, shivering at the feel of his lips against my forehead, in my hair.

"Mhmm. We should crawl in the other, not so destroyed bed."

Groaning at the effort I didn't want to make, I slid off and pulled the sleepy half-demon with me, until we were both under clean sheets and the lights were off.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered quietly. "Stay."

I didn't know where he thought I was going, especially after all that, but I promised him anyways and wrapped myself around him.

It was the best sleep I had gotten in years.

* * *

It wasn't until a week and a half later, in the middle of a fight that Astaroth finally made his unwanted appearance.

"Now Kagome! _NOW_!" Inuyasha yelled.

I raced over to the half-demon, barely able to see in the dark, following only the sound of his voice. The dark figures in front of me suddenly became a bit clearer and the strange, multi-headed demon with big bug eyes was screeching at me.

"Enjoy," I snarled, slapping my hand on his chest. My powers were getting stronger; I could feel it every time I pulled. It was like I didn't even have to touch the demon's chest to connect to their black heart. I felt the connection, heard the demon's screeches become more from pain than aggravation, and then clenched my fist, destroying all ties and purifying it. Another one back in Hell.

I didn't even realize that anything was up until Inuyasha was growling, his body stepping protectively in front of me and bent in a lunge.

"Oh, come now Inuyasha, don't be like that." The accent was pretty hard to forget. Astaroth's blinding grin was difficult to miss as well.

"What the fuck do you want?" my half-demon growled and I stepped out from behind him, waiting, watching. There was only one reason that he'd come back.

"I've found him."

* * *

**Feedback is love.**


	26. The Devil You Don't

**This is the scene in my head that started this entire story.**

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Six: The Devil You Don't**

* * *

"_On the first page of our story, the future seemed so bright. Then this thing turned out so evil, I don't know why I'm still surprised. Even angels have their wicked schemes and you take that to new extremes. But you'll always be my hero, even though you've lost your mind."_

_-Love the Way You Lie Pt. II, Rihanna_

* * *

It was hard, trying to pay attention to the duke of Hell in front of me and not come up with plans to kill him. Astaroth was a strange demon, oddly companionable if I thought about it long enough, but the feeling remained that he was a demon and I had to finish him off.

Said duke of Hell paid no mind. "I've been able to narrow down where he is."

Inuyasha stood beside me, tense like I'd never seen him before. His whole body was practically shaking. "How about you go fuck yourself?"

"Just because you're an idiot doesn't mean I don't have a job to do," Astaroth replied, sneering at the half-demon before turning his attention back to me. "I figured that you'd want this information, seeing as it's pertinent to your Chosen Path."

I hesitated, looking at Inuyasha. He was so riled up and while I knew he hated the duke of Hell close to us, he couldn't be _that_ repulsed. Astaroth could've killed both of us several times by now and he had yet to do more than give me the weirdest dreams of my life and Inuyasha a few pains that healed after a couple hours. Astaroth was right, he was being an idiot. "Yeah, I want to know."

Inuyasha's sharp amber glare was fixated on me now, practically throwing daggers at my face. I ignored him, chose to focus on the darker-skinned demon in front on me, his red eyes seemingly delighted by Inuyasha's reaction. It must be a demon thing, enjoying the other's displeasure.

"Alright then, my star, here's what I've got. The moment you told me about _missing _demons, there were red flags all over our little hellish tracking system. From what I can tell, it's usually areas with heavy forestation, small towns that don't have much access to greater urban growth. It's been going on for just over four years, which is when we can determine the Shikon no Tama went missing." Astaroth let out an exasperated sigh, spinning around in a circle before refocusing on me. "There have been several flags, all over the map. Some have even occurred off the continent."

I processed the information, trying to calculate an average in my head. "So he's bound to be close now to his mark right? How many demons do you think he's used?"

For once, the duke of Hell's smile faltered. "We're estimating around the nine-hundreds somewhere, maybe high eight if we're lucky. He's been at it for four years and while his demon intake can't be that high per round, there's a good chance that with the Shikon no Tama he's lured many of them into his possession."

"So we just need to get the jewel from him and kill him," I stated. "I have to purify him."

Inuyasha growled. "Kagome, with all those demons in his system, he's going to be fucking out-of-this-world powerful. Maybe you need more time."

"Until when?" I asked, somewhat bitterly. "Until he's completed his goal and this _Naraku_ thing is complete? What the hell would I do then?" I shook my head, thinking, planning.

"There's another detail you should be aware of," Astaroth added, somewhat quietly. "Star, you are the only one that can touch it."

"It?" I parroted. "You mean I'm the only one that can take the jewel?"

The duke of Hell nodded, shrugging. "It's the reason you are the Chosen One. I guess your winged-idiots didn't remark on any of that. I'm not surprised; they're so uptight with the sticks in their asses." Astaroth chuckled to himself. "You, my star, can only touch the Shikon no Tama because it is tainted. It's tainted with Onigumo's power – his hatred, his demons, everything. You are Chosen because you are the only one strong enough to purify both the jewel and Onigumo. Even us demons can't touch it, for we will be lured within and the goody two-shoes with wings would most likely implode from the evil."

I stared at Astaroth, unwavering from his red eyes. "You have to fucking be kidding me," I hissed, practically growling. I should probably spend less time with Inuyasha. "So no other demon slayer can do it? None of them? So even if I have backup, it will be useless because I'm the only one that can touch the jewel and the only one that can kill this monster Onigumo."

Astaroth shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, that's basically it." I closed my eyes, trying to remain calm. The duke continued to talk. "It's not like you can't have help. They just can't do any of the important stuff. They can attack Onigumo; they can try to get the jewel away from his grasp. They just can't touch it and can't kill him."

"Beautiful," I muttered. "Fucking beautiful. Any other important tidbits I should know?"

"Recently there have been a number of demon disappearances, starting two days ago. I believe it's where he is."

Inuyasha tensed beside me, gazed pointedly fixed on the ground.

"Where?" This is what I had to do. If I could complete this, then Heaven would let me go and I could finally, finally be free of this curse. I could start a normal life, or something that was as normal as a past demon slayer could get. There was even a chance that when this was all over, Inuyasha would still be there too. We could make things work. Without my demon powers, there wouldn't be any chances that I could purify him. Sure, there were other ways of killing him, but nothing I could do accidentally like tug on the puppet strings to his heart.

This was for the better. This was my final goal.

"St. Germain, Wisconsin," Astaroth replied, grinning widely before turning to Inuyasha. "Have fun."

And just like that, without a warning or any more helpful hints on how to destroy this creature, Astaroth was gone.

* * *

"Kagome, for fuck's sake, stop!"

"Oh quit complaining," I murmured, pushing his head further under the bathtub tap. "Just a couple more minutes and it'll be over with."

I could tell that the half-demon wanted to say more, but without risking swallowing the black hair-dye in his mouth when he opened it, he smartly kept it shut. I preferred it that way, if only because ever since Astaroth saw us this morning he'd been driving me up the wall. I had never pictured him as the clingy type, but it was like the idea of sudden, imminent death was making him permanently attached to me. I got it, I really did. Facing Onigumo would probably be one of the biggest challenges yet.

But I wasn't scared. This was my destiny. I am _Chosen_ and whatever happens is going to happen no matter what. Sure, free will had something to do with it, but regardless of what path I took, I couldn't be free of Heaven's curse if I didn't get this done. Sooner or later, I would crack and go after Onigumo. It was just a smarter decision to do it now because he was weaker, not fully prepared.

Inuyasha didn't seem to get it.

"You should train more," he told me, the moment we got back to the motel we previously booked. He had pressed me up against the wall, hands pinning my wrists, lips inches away. "We can make Astaroth keep a closer eye on him and then go before he's completed the ritual."

I rolled my eyes, a poor substitution for shaking my head. He was too close for that, too close because I'd be kissing him otherwise. "He'll still be stronger than he is now though."

"And so would you," Inuyasha countered.

I gazed at him, letting the intense golden stare leave me breathless for only a moment before recollecting myself, reasserting myself. "No, we do this now. _I_ do this now."

For the quickest of seconds, I could swear that the half-demon nearly looked to be in pain. A small noise, so quiet I could've imagined it, came from the back of this throat. He kissed me then, powerful, desperate and wanting.

I didn't stop him, letting him shove a thigh between my legs and hoist me up higher on the wall until I wasn't touching the ground. His hands traced down my body, along my sides and I wrapped my now free arms around his neck, toying with his long hair.

There was touching, grabbing and while I appreciated Inuyasha's sudden need to practically melt into me, I couldn't help but wonder what was making him act so strangely. Inuyasha was a half-demon, brash and stubborn. There was no way he would act like this for just a big fight. There had to be more to the picture.

I tried to bring it up, but he merely would distract me with words, arguments or lips. It was annoying that I didn't realize the distraction until later, when I was boneless and relaxed on the bed, pants undone and loose around my waist, shirt and bra somewhere lost on the floor. Inuyasha had been lying beside me, eyes closed like he was sleeping but his entire body tense.

Something was definitely up.

When my next attempt to get him to answer me the day after resulted in more kissing, I pushed him back and stabbed a finger at his chest. "No. Stop it right now," I ordered. "You don't want to talk about it, fine. But we're no longer kissing and I mean it."

"What?" Inuyasha demanded, frowning. "You can't just do that."

"Watch me," I snapped, looking him up and down. I noticed his hair, yet again, and how the silver roots were extremely prominent. It had been then that I dragged him to the bathroom, ruffled through the cosmetics bag in there and pulled out a box of hair dye.

Inuyasha had been silent ever since.

"I'm actually enjoying the quiet," I said, mostly to myself as I scrubbed at his skull. All of the hair dye was removed, but it was always better to shampoo and rinse extra hard.

"Fuck you wench," Inuyasha murmured, the sound almost garbled as he tried to keep his mouth mostly shut.

"You only wish we got that far," I mumbled, patting his back and standing up to dry my hands on a clean towel. I kind of winced as I realized my words, moving out of the way as Inuyasha reached blindly for the towel near his feet, drying his long hair with it.

But it was true. I wouldn't let us get that far, not now. Sure, I've have my share of one-night stands with guys I didn't much know who got way further than Inuyasha in a few hours rather than days. It's completely different. The one time ordeals are out of a slight necessity – getting it out of the system, not remaining _celibate _for the rest of my cursed life. The point is not to get to know each other or to exchange more than pleasantries and basic background information. They were hook-ups, plain and simple and that was that.

Inuyasha was a whole new level of complex and that was _everything_. I knew him, for one. I knew him better than the guys I met at bars or clubs or on cases. He had my back. He was a sidekick to my superhero and while he wasn't exactly my friend first, he certainly was now.

If this was serious then waiting more than a week was fine. I could live off the little stuff and let us build to the big stuff. That's the difference in a lot of ways between lust and…well not _love,_but a deep fondness. Because I couldn't love Inuyasha, even though I cared for him greatly. Lust would be going at it from the get-go and not really looking for the emotional connection over the physical one.

"You have a look on your face," Inuyasha said, half of his head hidden by the fluffy white towel he was still drying off with. "I don't trust the look on your face."

"I don't have a look, you're mistaken," I replied, leaving the bathroom for him to finish up on his own and turning on my laptop. "So today was a bust."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes, stepping into the main part of the room and sitting down on his bed. "Not so much a _bust_ as a waste of a day," he corrected. "We've eliminated that Onigumo isn't hiding in any abandoned buildings. A forest would make more sense anyways. This ritual has to have some sort of visual effects and the trees could block that."

I nodded, flipping through the various websites I had saved. "I'm going to make a list of the areas we should check out. There's so many we'll probably have to split up and rendezvous at a specific time."

Inuyasha laughed then, sounding bitter. "As if wench. I'm sure as hell not leaving you alone. Knowing you, you'll go into that fight without me."

"I'm hardly suicidal," I replied, giving him a short glare. "Considering this is for my freedom, I'd rather live through this, thanks."

The half-demon looked less than convinced though, and merely stood up to blow dry his hair in the bathroom. The noise from it drowned out anything else he could've said but his actions were loud enough. He was worried. Inuyasha was extremely worried.

And while I wished to believe it was from his utter care for me, I had a feeling that it wasn't.

* * *

Since we had already gone through St. Germain once, the second time was a lot easier. I drove around in the Corvette, listening intently to my demon radar for a trace of something evil. Inuyasha was running around, using his demon speed to cover a lot of ground. We were supposed to find Onigumo's location and then regroup. Well Inuyasha wanted to regroup – I just wanted to fight.

It was like an itch, settled under my skin and unable to get to. I needed this fight to happen, I needed to kill this bastard Onigumo and get my life back. I would not stop and even if Inuyasha gave me these worried looks, I'd ignore him. He didn't understand.

So when the radar started a faint _beep_ in my head, I nearly drove into oncoming traffic. I was driving alongside a forest, surrounding the road on both sides. This had to be it. I had to be near. I had found where he was – or, I hoped I had. It could be a lone demon, but what were the chances of that when Astaroth specifically said Onigumo was here?

Taking note of where I was, I made a U-turn and headed for the spot Inuyasha and I were to meet at. It was only fifteen minutes away, at a clearing by an isolated dirt road. It looked very much like the spot I first talked to Inuyasha, the time I shot him in the left leg. He must've been relatively close because it took only a few minutes after I shut off the engine for him to appear. Apprehension was in his eyes.

Opening the car door on the passenger side, I motioned for him to get in. Inuyasha didn't look too happy about it but he complied, still giving me that look when he shut the door. "Did you?"

I nodded. "About seven miles southwest of some gas station along County Road J. It could be a false alarm though."

Inuyasha's golden stare was sceptical, matching my own disbelief of those chances. "We should go back to the motel and–"

"What?" I interrupted, already shaking my head, already letting irritation wash over me. "I went over our weapons but they'll have about the same effect as what they'd do to you. The only way to kill him is to purify him."

Inuyasha's jaw clenched so hard it looked painful. I could practically hear his teeth grinding. "You should call Sango and Miroku."

"And have them bitch me out for not waiting or calling them to help?" I asked incredulously, eyebrows raised. "No I won't do it."

"It could…" Inuyasha let out a breath. "It could be the last time."

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Silence practically roared in his ears. Kagome was looking at him, a stillness about her he'd never seen. She was always moving, fidgeting, _planning_. Right now she did none of those things.

Briefly her gaze flickered, not away from his face yet still moving. It was like everything she was feeling got drained, until only blankness was left. "Fuck you very much," she said, quietly – too quiet. "Fuck you and your constant lack of faith these past couple of days. What? Do you know something I don't?"

Inuyasha felt his throat practically close. What could he tell her? Nothing. This was it – _the plan._ He was finally going to get what he wanted, what he _needed _all along. "When I lost my mom, I never actually said goodbye. I was there but I never said it." He stopped, not knowing where that came from. It didn't make it any less true. "I thought…"

Kagome's gaze had softened somewhat, some emotion back in her eyes. "I never did, not with my father. Hell, not even my mother and brother, although they're probably still alive. I…I _can't_say goodbye because that feels too much like letting go."

Inuyasha couldn't stand looking at her, didn't know how she could be so close and not _see._

"I need you to have my back," Kagome went on, the quiet murmur never rising. "I trust you to save me and to make sure I don't have to say goodbye."

He had to close his eyes. How could he do this? How could he go through with it?

"Okay," he whispered, voice hoarse. "I can do that. I'll protect you."

At that Kagome smiled. It was genuine, open and absolutely beautiful. Inuyasha stared at her, begging his mind to commit it to memory, to always remember her even if he wasn't the same…_When_ he wasn't the same.

This woman had gotten under his skin, beaten the obstacles and climbed the walls. Despite all of his defences and all of his lies, she broke through. And now that smile she gave him, so open and trusting… It would be the last time he ever saw it.

Kagome reached over then, hand sliding down his arm in a caress. "Let's kill this son of a bitch, shall we?" She didn't wait for an answer, merely started up the car and blasted some heavy rock CD he'd never heard before.

He didn't mind. Inuyasha wanted to go on not thinking for the rest of his life. When they got there – far too soon – Kagome just smiled again and climbed out.

"Demon radar is still going off. That's good, or bad depending. I'm not sure if my radar is picking him up or whatever demon he's luring though." Kagome shrugged. "Given the fact that I can't acknowledge you makes me think it's another demon he's captured."

Inuyasha got out of the car himself, shutting it and listening to the pop of the trunk. Kagome was already back there, pulling out her silver gun and a few other choice weapons. She finished quickly and efficiently, already heading off towards the forest's tree line. Inuyasha couldn't help but watch as she walked away and he wished, for the very first time, that he had never met Kagome Higurashi.

* * *

We had only just made it a few feet past the tree line when suddenly…wind. A shit load of it. It came out of nowhere, a big huge gust that shook the trees, rattled the leaves and whipped my hair in my face. Inuyasha stepped up beside me, hands tensed at the sides.

"What the _hell_ is this?" I exclaimed, practically shouting. This was the last thing I needed right now. A massive wind storm was not good, especially when it was most likely tied to Onigumo.

Inuyasha didn't have time to answer me though. A blinding light suddenly pierced through the trees, black smoke starting to creep along the dirt floor, marring the beauty. I knew that smoke, fuck. I understood even as the half-demon at my side cursed. "He's fucking doing it, he's consuming the demons!"

And didn't that just sound bloody outrageous? "Has he reached his goal?" I asked, in a simple moment of panic. Of course he didn't, it wasn't possible. More would happen than wind and a little smoke. My muscles tensed all over anyways, preparing for a fight.

Inuyasha shook his head. "No, the forest would probably be obliterated with all of the raw energy of the ritual."

So there was still time. I placed my hands on Inuyasha's shoulders, letting him understand before I got on his back. His hands wrapped around my legs and soon we were running, speeding through trees too fast for me to catch my bearings. My eyes teared and I had to close them, burying my face in the back of his neck. Strands of our black hair – both natural and dyed – mingled with the wind storm.

"_Shit!_"

The curse startled me but before I could look up our bodies jolted to a halt, skidding along the grass and dirt. Something blew up, the crack of a tree deafening in my ears. We were flying again, this time sideways and the wind was knocked out of me when I collided with the ground.

Dammit, what the hell was going on?

"What's happening?" I shouted, rolling over, getting my feet underneath me. Instantly I saw, my eyes landing on the man that had to be Onigumo.

Only he wasn't a man.

"Onigumo!" I yelled, evening my stance, watching Inuyasha warily in my peripherals.

The demon-man looked at me, eyes a strange brown and red mixture. His skin was deathly pale, contrasting with his long and unruly black hair. What startled me the most were the demon-like additions – the fangs out his back, the curl of bone and spikes and tentacles moving sporadically behind him. He looked like Frankenstein, the Demon Edition.

"Onigumo is dead," he said, deeply, calmly. His eyes narrowed, taking me in. "I am Naraku."

_Naraku._ The ritual.

"You haven't consumed a thousand demons yet," I countered, noticing how Inuyasha was tensing, jerking as if planning to attack at any moment. Stall, I had to stall.

Naraku smiled, the wicked grin unnerving even to me. "You must be Kagome Higurashi. The demons told me you were coming." It had to be my luck that gossip along the demon grapevine spread like wildfire. "Of course," Naraku continued, "it was only a matter of time, right Inuyasha?"

Knowing Inuyasha's name wasn't what confused me since demons were well-integrated within their network. It was how…he talked to him – how personal, how conversational it was.

"Fucking bastard," Inuyasha snarled, launching himself. Naraku moved out of the way but Inuyasha blocked his counter and went after him.

I drew my gun, firing once before Inuyasha got too close. Naraku barely changed at the impact, momentarily stunned before turning his eyes to me. I went to pull the trigger again but Inuyasha was there, clawed hands around Naraku's throat.

_Shit._ I couldn't shoot and risk hitting Inuyasha. Holstering the gun, I ran forward, watching Naraku flip the half-demon off and use his power to push him into a tree. I went against him then, kicking his hand and releasing Inuyasha from the hold. Naraku punched me in the shoulder and I stumbled back. Inuyasha surged forward from above, dropping on Naraku and sending him to the ground.

Gun drawn, I raced forward and aimed at his head. It didn't matter though since Inuyasha was using his clawed finger to push at the bullet hole. Black and red blood mingled, seeping out of the wound as Naraku laughed.

"Oh Inuyasha, you sure picked a good one this time," he exclaimed, tensing before a force blew us backwards.

I slammed into the tree behind me, falling to the ground. Searing pain echoed in my skull and black dots lined my vision. It hurt to breathe. Oh hell, did that hurt. I blinked furiously against the pain, fuzzily seeing Naraku's shape huddled over Inuyasha's.

"You couldn't kill me three years ago and you couldn't take the jewel. What made you think you could do it this time?"

"I _will_ kill you," Inuyasha hissed, sound abruptly cutting off as Naraku's hand closed around his throat. Inuyasha was lifted, grinding against the tree bark as he was raised.

I stood up, fighting the nausea, trying to stop this. What was confusing was what Naraku had said, how he was focusing on Inuyasha instead of me. _I _was the demon slayer. _I _was the Chosen One. Nausea continued to threaten to topple me over, the trickle of blood dripping down my forehead.

"Did she know?" Naraku asked, laughing. "Did that poor bitch even realize?"

Inuyasha's golden eyes landed on mine, panicked. I had to do something, even if Naraku's words were starting to piece something inside my head, something I couldn't quite gather.

I ran the distance, unsteady on my feet. My punch went wide as Naraku countered, but Inuyasha was thrown away like a discarded rag doll, finally able to breathe. I kicked, lunging and Naraku effectively stopped every attack. His smile was malicious and he ducked, swinging out his leg and knocking me to the ground. He crawled on top of me, licking his lips and staring at me intently. "You're so much feistier than Kikyo was. Inuyasha sure knows how to pick them, I'll give him that much."

_Kikyo_? "What are you fucking saying?" I spat, struggling in his hold, trying to move my legs out just an inch…

Naraku beamed, seemingly delighted. "He didn't tell you then." He looked over to where Inuyasha was, choking on the ground on hands and knees. "You're not the first _Chosen One_ he's brought Kagome. You're a poor substitute for the first demon slayer he tricked into killing me. Three years ago this happened, oh, what day?"

My head was scrambling, the puzzle pieces finally shoving together, so forcefully it was nearly painful. All of the words from the other demons, Inuyasha's growing panic as the days went on, his sudden desperation… _Can't we just have this now?_ He had said that so sadly. Not just desperately but…sadly. Oh god. Oh my fucking god.

"Oh, I remember because the day was so ironic. You probably remember it too," Naraku said, licking his lips again. "June 6th, of 2006, which is probably the day you became the Chosen One, correct? Doesn't one die and then Heaven picks another from the flock to replace them?" He laughed then, hands tightening their hold on my wrists. He leaned down closer, as if staring deeper into my eyes would allow him to read my mind. "Oh I know you remember, the way Daddy's voice sounded on the phone as he died. The demons had fun with him."

"Go fuck yourself," I screamed, finally getting my leg out and jamming it into his side, using his flinch to my advantage as I wrapped around him and flipped us over. I punched him in the face, over and over. My hand was screaming bloody murder, my entire body humming on adrenaline and the need to survive.

Naraku kept laughing, even as each blow caused more black and red blood to fall from his face. Out of the blue he caught my hand – how he got loose from my body's grip I don't know – but I was flying, back into a tree, ribs yelling out as the ability to breathe suddenly disappeared.

"Don't touch her!" I could hear Inuyasha, heard the sound of heavy footfalls. I opened my eyes to see him fighting Naraku again, the two of them punching and kicking, missing and hitting. Inuyasha sank his hand into Naraku's stomach, blood pouring as he fell to the ground. The half-demon went to follow, bending down but unprepared as Naraku kicked him in the jaw. Inuyasha went down, Naraku rolling to get closer to him.

I struggled to get up, to even get my body to function. Everything felt sluggish, impossible without the proper air in my lungs. I think I cracked something; the pain seemed pretty familiar with it. Getting to my hands and knees I pried my eyes away from Inuyasha, who was still fighting.

And then I saw it. The Shikon no Tama, as black as can be, protected around what looked to be demon waste to the side of the clearing. It was pretty far away but if I could get to it–

I didn't finish the thought, I simply went for it. I ignored the way the blackness settled around my vision, the way each step jolted more pain into my body. The jewel was close, radiating evil. I could feel it and the power it held, the way it shimmered undiluted raw energy.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha screamed.

There was no time to get into any sort of defensive position so I dropped to the ground, falling onto my back and watching as Naraku almost passed me. Inuyasha was there by my side, growling out strings of curses.

"The jewel is _mine_," Naraku snapped, blocking my view of the black Shikon no Tama. "And this is now getting boring." His hands raised, his whole arm shaking. Something big was going to happen.

"Inuyasha move!" I yelled, pushing at him but it was too late. The half-demon flew backwards, so fast it was all just a blur. Inuyasha was pressed against a large rock, head bleeding, shoulders hunched inwards. Naraku was suddenly there, looming over him with his hand around his throat.

"I've had enough of you," Naraku hissed. "You will _never _be a demon, you pathetic half-breed. At least I will become something truly powerful but you…" Naraku laughed. "The Shikon no Tama will never give you what you want and for every bitch you bring me, I will kill them slower and slower. Remember how Kikyo died? How long did her heart keep beating, even though she was too far gone? She practically killed herself. All those open cuts and her heart kept pumping the blood out and out, spilling to the floor."

"You fucking go to hell," Inuyasha snarled. "This isn't about me anymore–"

"As if that's the case," Naraku cut in, growling. "You wouldn't be here if it wasn't."

Naraku shifted and my view of Inuyasha was broken. All I could hear were screams, abruptly cut off as the sounds of choking ensued. I grabbed my gun, aiming at the bastard's head and firing, over and over and over.

My clip was suddenly empty and I cursed, trying to roll up. Naraku was now on the ground, head a mess of blood and gore but he was still alive, not actually dead. His human body was just a shell and the demons he consumed must be powerful enough to sustain him.

I staggered up, gun tossed to the side. My palm reached out, ready to connect to him, ready to purify him when all of a sudden, he was gone.

"What?" I asked, shocked by the lack of body on the ground. There was still a large pool of blood, the indentation on the grass from where he had been. I whipped around and the Shikon no Tama was gone too.

It was like he hadn't even been there in the first place.

Blinking furiously, I looked over to Inuyasha. His hands were rubbing at his throat, face contorted in what I could only assume was pain. I itched to reach out and touch him but something held me back.

"Who's Kikyo?" I asked. My voice sounded raw, like something had been clawing at my throat and making it impossible to speak. "What was Naraku saying to me?"

The half-demon looked up, eyes wide and terrified. The golden orbs held absolutely everything I didn't want to see. "No, Kagome–"

"_Who is Kikyo_?" I demanded again, taking a step back. He looked so pained, so absolutely lost. I wanted to make him feel better, to let him know that I was still there and we were still alive. But this… What Naraku said changed everything. If there was a Kikyo and she was the Chosen One before me… If Inuyasha led her here to- to- to get the _jewel for himself_–

All Inuyasha had to do was tell me it was a lie. Fuck, that was it. He had to tell me everything Naraku said was bullshit and his eyes couldn't lie to me. But the first time I asked him he looked so scared, like he feared what I would do because I finally knew.

"This was all a _plan_?" I shrieked, realizing he wasn't going to speak. "What? Tell me what the fuck you wanted out of this?"

Turning his golden eyes downcast, Inuyasha shook his head. "In- In the beginning I wanted the jewel to grant me a wish. I wanted to become a full demon."

It was like my mind slammed to a halt, car tires screeching, metal grating. "What?"

Inuyasha glared at me then, looking up. "You fucking heard me wench. The Shikon no Tama can grant wishes, give over power to those who hold it. I don't want to be a fucking half-demon anymore. Do you _understand _what it's like, what it was like to grow up and fucking _survive_? I wanted to use the jewel and become a full demon."

"So you used Kikyo?" I screamed, fighting right back, pushing against his own force. "You found a demon slayer and convinced her to kill Naraku so you could get the jewel? If she was the Chosen One, she wouldn't have given it to you Inuyasha. It belonged in proper hands. What the fuck were you planning on doing after, huh?"

The half-demon's face twisted into a snarl before flattening out, everything within him deflating.

And I finally understood. "You were going to kill her. You _did _kill her!" I shrieked. Holy fucking shit. Shit, shit, _fuck._

"Naraku killed her," Inuyasha shot back, anger glaring in his eyes even though the rest of him looked torn. "I couldn't save her."

"But it didn't matter anyways," I snapped. "Because the moment you got the jewel you were going to kill her. You couldn't let her live because she would've hunted you down like every other fucking demon slayer would."

When Inuyasha didn't answer, when he didn't even look at me anymore, I knew.

I fucking knew.

"Holy fuck," I whispered, taking another step back and then another. "And that's where I came in. I was a substitute. You… You were with me this _entire _time, _used _me and tricked me and fucking–" _Kissed me. Hugged me. _"You fucking _bastard!_" I shrieked, turning around and punching at the closest thing. It was a small tree, all smooth bark and nowhere near as satisfying as I wanted it to be. All I felt was pain – mentally and physically.

"Kagome," Inuyasha grunted, and when I turned around I saw that he was standing up, reaching out to me with a desperate look on his face. "You were different. Maybe not at first because_fuck_, I just, I wanted to be normal so bad but now–" He cut himself off, shaking his head like it would wake him up, shake him out of this nightmare.

I desperately wanted it to be a nightmare.

"I fell for you," he whispered, looking back up and catching my gaze. "Kagome, I care about you. I couldn't have done that to you. I _wouldn't have_–"

"_Fuck you and your bullshit!_" I screamed, slapping him hard on the face because my fists hurt way too much from the fight. "You're lying to me! You're fucking _lying_! You were with me and stayed with me because you were trying to find my _weakness_!" Everything was coming together now, all the ugly little details that were buried in the back of my mind and refused to get out. "You used my weaknesses against me and you stayed because I was the best option you had to purify the jewel and make it yours. This entire time you were trying to kill me!"

I was in hysterics now, hands flying and feet stumbling as I tried to move away, push him back even though he kept following. He just continued to get closer, his hands out for me.

No. I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't let him get close to me ever, ever again.

Reaching down quickly, I tugged up my pants and pulled out my ankle gun, a Kel-Tec P-32 that I always had for backup. I instantly raised my arm, training on his face and glaring at him. "Don't fucking get any closer," I hissed, stepping back myself and trying to put as much distance between us as possible.

I had to get out of here. I couldn't be here right now.

"No, you have to see–"

I waved my gun at him, a sound close to a snarl snapping out of my throat. "You want to know how to kill me, Inuyasha?" I asked, deadly calm. "You want to fucking now how to break me apart and destroy me?"

Inuyasha stopped moving, his hands down by his sides. His golden eyes were wide, terrified. I knew he could run and escape if he wanted to. He was a half-demon and much faster than I was. But I had the advantage of no longer caring, of no longer giving a flying fuck as to what happened between the two of us.

Because I was done. This was it. There was only so much of me that could break.

"Kagome–"

"_This_," I screamed. "This is how you _fucking _kill me!" I felt the hot burn of tears behind my lids but I blinked them away, refusing to let them fall. "I'm going to leave now and you are _not_ going to follow me. You will stay away from me, got it?" Inuyasha shook his head, looking more desperate now than I've ever seen him. He opened his mouth to speak but I stopped him before he could. "Come near me and I will shoot you."

And for the first time, I saw every inch of Inuyasha's body shut down. It was like watching a computer, seeing first the monitor go black, the sounds disappear, the lights flicker off and then…nothing. I felt no satisfaction from seeing him like this, felt nothing but uncontrollable rage.

And underneath it, a pain so fucking strong I wasn't sure if I'd survive it.

_Fuck_ how would I survive?

I pulled the trigger before I even thought about it, feeling the tiny recoil, hearing the bang of the shot as the bullet went straight for my target. Inuyasha fumbled to the ground, his hand clenched around his right thigh where the bullet went in.

"There, that makes it fucking _even_." I took one last look at him, at the half-demon that could only stare at me back with absolutely nothing in his golden depths. I turned around and ran away. I kept running until I reached the Corvette and even then I just hopped in, revved the engine and drove for days.

* * *

**Feedback is love.**


	27. What You Wish For

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: What You Wish For**

* * *

"_Tell me God, do you remember the wishes that she made as she blew out the candles on her last birthday cake? She wants to ride a pony when she's big enough. She wants to marry her daddy when she's all grown up. Well it must be kind of crowded on the streets in Heaven, so tell me what do you need her for? Don't you know one day she'll be your little girl forever? But right now I need her so much more."_

_-Streets of Heaven, Sherri Austin_

* * *

"Another," I ordered, still staring into the vodka mixed-drink that was half-full. The bartender didn't seem to get that I wanted it to never be empty.

So I just kept ordering.

The bartender didn't say anything, simply filling up another vodka concoction and putting it in front of me. I nodded my thanks and went back to staring into the glass.

I was so stupid. So unbelievably naïve and stupid. This is exactly what Miroku and Sango warned me about, wasn't it? And I didn't listen. Why? Who the fuck even knows why. Maybe they were right, I was lonely and attention-deprived and just a sad human being overall.

What the fuck do I care now, anyways? It was over. Inuyasha was somewhere, hopefully far away. I left him behind me after shooting him a week ago and now… Well now I wasn't quite sure where I even was. Some small town with a shitty motel and a shitty bar with shitty alcohol.

Cheers.

My phone lit up on the bar top again, Sango's name flashing on the caller ID. I hung up before I decided to answer. Somehow they must've found out. Maybe Inuyasha told them – although that was a death sentence if I ever heard of one. The two of them would've massacred the half-demon if he told them what went down. So maybe he lied. Whatever.

Sango and Miroku knew because they were calling me and texting me about every hour. I usually skimmed the short text messages, feeling my heart clench and throat close as I read them. They were sympathetic and wanted me to come back to Boomerang's. Of course they did.

Well, I wasn't going to. No fucking way in hell was I going to.

My friends weren't dumb – they would never say _I told you so_ in so many words. But the thing was…it was implied. I ended up with broken pieces and they were there to always pick them up. Maybe I should've learned by now that Miroku and Sango had far better foresight when it came to me than I ever did.

I finished the glass, gulping down the alcohol. It probably didn't say anything good that the burn was no longer there, that I didn't feel the warmth as it slid down my throat.

I was drunk, that much was true. But I just sat there on the bar stool, looking into my drink and ignoring phone calls. I didn't talk to anyone, I didn't acknowledge anyone. I merely sat there…thinking…and beating myself up more than Inuyasha ever could.

The thing was: before Inuyasha came along…what was I like? We'd been together for two months, sharing rooms and food and killing demons. It was a horrible realization that I couldn't really remember what I was like before he came along and royally messed up my life – messed it up _more _than it was previously.

I tried to remember, tried to sort through my drunken haze and figure out what I did alone. How did I behave? Where did I go?

And then it hit me. This. _This_ right here was exactly what I did. I drank, I partied, I hooked-up. I sat alone in my motel room and watched television and moped. I thought about what my life would be like if this had never happened to me, if I was never chosen.

So here I am, drinking again, being alone. I was exactly back to where I was. In one week's time, I reverted to old, desperate ways.

And that, _that _was the fucking cherry on top.

* * *

Waking up the next morning, hungover like mad and unable to really process much wasn't unusual to me. My body started to riot though, clearly unforgiving to the bad habit I'd had of late. Two months nearly alcohol free and now I was drunk pretty much every night. My liver was probably in charge of the revolt.

Stumbling to the bathroom, I sat down on the side of the bathtub and waited, letting the nausea roll away and the dizziness to fade. It took minutes before I could finally lift my head and stand up, wondering if I had ever been this bad before. I couldn't quite remember hangovers like this, since last time I thought I was fairly immune against them.

Washing my face was a delicate procedure, and I took my time rinsing away last night's makeup and dirt. The moisturizer soothed my skin and the moment the toothbrush hit my teeth I thought that maybe I could survive today, as long as nothing bad happened.

So of course, something bad happened. We must remember that this is my life.

Due to the haziness and the constant blurry stumble I seemed to put myself in, it wasn't long before I found another job. Life loved to punch me in the boobs like that – hitting me at the lowest possible place. So I found another job, and quite literally it appeared before me, even if I didn't know it at the time. I was just getting out of my car when police cruisers and an ambulance pulled in to the motel parking lot, lights flashing and sirens blaring. I could then see a man waving frantically by one of the rooms.

Hmm.

No thank you.

Quickly getting back in the Corvette I drove off to an inn that was a couple blocks away, frowning slightly at the sight of a Canadian flag hung at the window. I could vaguely remember using my passport a few days ago… I was definitely worse off than I thought.

The room I rented for the night was nicer than the usual places, so I jumped into bed and slept, letting the darkness take over. I could unpack later and probably find some lunch – or was it dinner now since the sun was setting? – when I woke back up. Nothing but letting my pounding head rest was important. I hadn't even salted the doors.

So maybe, in retrospect, that's the reason I was such an easy target. No one ever claimed that alcohol was a great demon slaying partner, despite the overwhelming numbers of us that consumed it anyways. But the point in this entire big mess was that when I passed out, wishing to never wake up from the warm blanket of unconsciousness, I never actually thought my wish would come true.

It did.

And it sucked.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

"Goddamn fucking wench."

Inuyasha stared at the empty room, perfectly clean and normal except for the fact that Kagome's bag was still sitting in the corner. She wouldn't leave without it, not after the Wadsworth Incident, so he knew deep down that something had gone terribly wrong.

Or, more terribly wrong than usual.

Poking at his right leg absentmindedly, he sat down on the bed, shaking his head. That damn woman had managed to do it again – get in trouble far beyond what she could handle. The number of times that he had saved her _sorry drunk ass_ was well past the fingers on his two hands. Ever since the meeting with Naraku, demons seemed to swarm to her in waves. It didn't help that she was incapacitated most of the time and at her weakest.

_And how did she get that way?_

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and stood up, focusing on what he could do: find her. It was easy to pick up the sent of sulphur, although the scent was lighter than usual, faded in a way that shouldn't exist. He had been watching Kagome ever since… Well, ever since. He saw her get the room at the inn. When she didn't come out five hours later, he crept closer. She hadn't eaten at all with the exception of a chocolate bar this morning from the gas station she filled up at. Kagome had to have been hungry, so surely…

It was then he realized the room was empty. The utter stillness in the room along with the distinct lack of her scent drove him to kick open the door, letting the handle smash into the drywall and crack it. None of that mattered though.

Kagome was gone.

Bending down to the bed, Inuyasha pressed his nose against it, trying to pick up anything – of _her_, of the demon that took her, _anything_. The scent was dying fast, something he wasn't used to either. This demon had something about them, something that blew away the scent. Inuyasha growled.

It wasn't until he saw the long white strand nearly blending into the beige carpeting that he realized what was going on. The utter truth to it all made his stomach churn.

"Bullshit," he whispered, crawling off the bed and approaching the hair. He glared at it, as if it could tell him answers to everything he wanted to know. When it just laid there unmoving he picked it up, scrunching his nose. There were a lot of humans and demons that had long white hair. But this…this along with the strangely disappearing scent and the fact that Naraku had to be apart of this…

Closing his eyes, Inuyasha raced out of the room, not knowing exactly where he was going but heading to higher ground. The roof of the inn helped a little – the scent was gently rolling between an inverted peak on a corner. He tried to relax, tried to ignore the fact that Kagome was taken and possibly dead already, tried to catch the trail. It was harder than it normally was and when he found it, it was nearly impossible to maintain track of. He did though, even as the sky became increasingly dark and the smells of night time flooded the air.

He ran for miles, only stopping to find the trail again, to catch the scent. The longer he waited the faster it disappeared, the faster he lost Kagome.

_Kagome_. The stupid wench shot him in the fucking leg again on the opposite side, made his life a living hell during most of their time together. She had a chip on her shoulder the size of the moon and seemed to think that lanky guys were cute – even if they were inhabited by demons. And yet, here he was, following her every move because somewhere along the torturous line he started to fall for the demon slayer with big brown eyes and a wicked sense of right versus wrong.

He was so fucked in the head.

It was nearly two in the morning before he found an abandoned warehouse, built somewhere along a gravel road that clearly was never used. The painted sign was peeling, leaving only part of the old company name showing. Inuyasha hesitated just inside the road's ditch, peering at the old building with the moon's glow. The scent was definitely the strongest here, meaning that the demons were still here with her. Quietly, he broke out into a sprint and was slipping into a broken first floor window within seconds.

The inside of the place was worse than the outside. Needles and pipes were littered in corners, garbage and fast food bags scattered around. Some badly degraded boxes were stacked haphazardly in leaking corners and Inuyasha jumped between rooms to avoid touching anything that could crash or squeak. With these demons, he needed the element of surprise.

He didn't have it.

The moment the scent of sulphur was prominent he stopped, peering through a doorway. Another deep breath and _Kagome_… He paused to plan, seeing only a quarter of a demon from his position. The door would surely make noise so he'd have a split second–

"Inuyasha, you're not nearly as stealthy as you think you are." With a growl he opened the door, trying to look menacing as he stepped closer to the tall demon with ruby red eyes. Her hair was longer than he remembered but still wrapped into a bun. Her shiny lips split into a smile as she waved. "How's life half-breed?"

"Fuck off Kagura," he snapped, trying to edge his way between Kagome and the wind demon before him. "What the hell do you want?"

Rolling her eyes, Kagura crossed her arms. "I'm under orders, what do you think? Kill a few humans, kill the Chosen One, etcetera. Please, stop being so daft."

Inuyasha chose to ignore her and instead turned his amber eyes to Kagome, lying pale on a broken and dingy cot. Every few minutes her body convulsed, arching off the bed before sliding back down. Kanna, the white-haired demon, was merely inches away from her, holding a mirror that was glazed and humming.

"So I've been told that your second plan failed almost as badly as the first," Kagura carried on conversationally. "First you use Kikyo, that bitch who was _so perfect_ until she died. And then, what's a little half-demon to do? Finding Kagome was pretty tricky of you. Even I didn't think you'd have the balls for round two."

The moment Inuyasha's amber eyes focused, locking onto a whisper of smoke that he could hardly see flow into the mirror, he growled loudly, wrapping his hand around Kagura's neck. "Tell your midget to stop whatever the fuck she's doing to Kagome _now_."

Despite the hand around her neck, Kagura laughed. "Right, of course. I'll get right on that your highness."

"You don't understand," he snarled, tightening his grip, pleased with the crack he could hear. "She can actually do it. She'll be the one."

Kagura's eyes flashed, recognition glaring in them as her ruby lips tightened into a line. "That's bullshit."

"She's already done something that Kikyo could never do. She almost _purified _me, and only stopped because she didn't want to." Inuyasha lessened his grip, dropping his hand as he shoved his way over to Kanna. "Stop it."

Kanna, big glassy eyes that seemed entirely lifeless, looked at him and then Kagura. When the tall demon nodded, the girl sighed lightly and whispered words that even Inuyasha couldn't hear. The circular mirror in her hands flashed, the humming noise fading completely.

Waiting, Inuyasha sat down on the bed, hand touching her mid-stomach, feeling the rise and fall of her breath. "When will she wake up?"

The white-haired demon girl tilted her head. "I don't know," she whispered quietly. "She might not."

"What?" Inuyasha snarled, turning his attention back to Kagura. "You _bitch_."

"Now wait," Kagura replied, glaring at him. "I was under orders and you showed up too late. You _do not _put this on me."

"You want free of Naraku, I can put whatever the fuck I _want _on you," Inuyasha yelled. "It was you that came to me so long ago about your freedom."

"And then you failed," Kagura pointed out easily. "The deal was off until just seconds ago when you put it back on the table."

"What's happening to her?" he demanded, looking at the girl. "What were you doing to her?"

"Draining her," Kanna murmured.

"But not for long enough." Inuyasha stood up, hesitated for a moment before sitting back down abruptly. "If she's not dead now, what's going on?"

"It's a coma," Kagura replied from behind him, making him turn. "She's probably in her head right now. Memories, dreams, nightmares… It depends on the person. Kanna was going through her memories as per Naraku's wishes."

Inuyasha closed his eyes and counted to three, unable to make it any further past. "Why?"

"I don't know."

"_Why?_"

Kagura sighed. "Don't start acting like a moron, Inuyasha. The answer never changes. You're as bad as your brother."

"Half-brother," Inuyasha hissed. "And if you fucking mention anymore shit like that I will not hesitate to rip out your throat."

"Yeah, yeah, puppy. Look, there's nothing else we can do. You just have to hope that she wakes up from whatever memory she's stuck in."

"I know." The startling whispered words made Inuyasha jump, exclamations about to tumble out of his mouth before he saw her lift the mirror. "I can take you inside," she continued softly. "In her memory."

He didn't think it through. "Do it," Inuyasha snapped, reaching out to grab Kagome's wrist. Her pulse was slow and sluggish but still pounding away. If he could get to her, convince her to wake up then he could save her.

Kagura laughed from behind. "You can't be serious Inuyasha. She's in her _memories_. You don't belong there, so there's a good chance she won't even see you."

"Or my presence will be such a disruption that she has to wake up," Inuyasha replied tightly. "Kanna, do it."

The flashing of the mirror was instant, blinding. Inuyasha felt his body go cold, sinking backwards onto the cot. Kanna's voice was loud, stronger than he had ever heard it. Suddenly everything was too loud, too bright and dizziness set in like a rock. His mind was a whirlwind of _too much_, circling over and over until finally there was…nothing. Eerie blackness settled around him, a startling contrast to what he was experiencing before.

"Grocery shopping is not a competition." The words were so familiar, so utterly Kagome that Inuyasha was almost dizzy with relief as the darkness faded and colour leaked into his world. He was standing in a grocery store, men and women going about with full carts or baskets. Kagome walked past him, her own cart in hand as she went down the baking needs aisle.

"Holy shit," he breathed, instantly moving, running towards her as he dodged shopper after shopper. "Kagome!" he yelled. She didn't seem to hear him. "Kagome!"

But the black-haired woman merely picked up a can of ready-made frosting, eyeing it. "Since Sota ate all the darn cookies, I think I deserve this," she murmured, smiling largely to herself before tossing it into the cart.

Inuyasha hesitated, only a moment because…did he actually hear the word _darn_ come out of her mouth? Not _damn_ or _fucking. _Darn_._ This was almost too weird for him. Reaching out, he tried to place a hand on her shoulder to stop her, to snap her out of this.

His hand went right through her.

"Oh, don't worry about it," Kagome said cheerfully, enough so that it made Inuyasha snap out of his horror as another shopper went right by her and directly through him.

Shit. Shit, shit, fuck, Kagura was right. This was Kagome's memory and he wasn't apart of it. She couldn't see him, didn't recognize him. Now what was he supposed to do?

"Kagome?" he exclaimed, watching her back as she turned and slipped down another aisle. The sounds of crashing carts made him run, nearly falling on the slippery floor before he saw Kagome and some guy staring strangely at one another.

"I'm so, so sorry," Kagome fumbled, trying to adjust her cart. A few items had been knocked over and were now rolling in the bed of it.

"Kagome," the guy laughed, his dark hair falling in his eyes as he shook his head. "Why do you apologize every five seconds? Seriously, don't worry."

Inuyasha watched in absolute, uncontrolled horror as the black-haired woman that was _supposedly_ Kagome blushed.

No. This couldn't be her. Kagome didn't blush or apologize or say words like darn. She lied and rolled her eyes and called you every bad word in the urban dictionary. The shock was confusing, splitting his Kagome and the woman in front of him. He knew she was younger here, probably around eighteen or nineteen years old, but still. People didn't change that much without a reason and Kagome had changed so much he wanted to believe that this was a sister or something.

He never realized that his Kagome had matured so much from this…this young blushing woman.

"I didn't see you last weekend at the party," the guy went on. "I thought you'd be there with your friends."

"Oh," Kagome said, tapping a little restlessly on her cart handle. "There was family stuff I had to do. My, uh, birthday with some relatives." The smile on her face was small but genuine, like she was amazed or pleased that this _ugly loser _noticed.

If Inuyasha could touch the guy, he'd punch him immediately. He was clearly putting the moves on her, and they were terrible, terrible moves.

"No way! Well happy belated, I'm sorry I didn't know. Will you be at school tomorrow?" the guy asked, smiling back at her. "We've got that math quiz. I hope you studied with that cake."

"Uh, yeah I'm going to be there," Kagome replied, shrugging a little.

"Great," the guy stated, laughing. "I'll save you a seat then? Bye."

"Bye," Kagome said, sounding a little shocked as she watched him wave and leave. For a moment, she stood still where she was standing, eyes a laser focus on a can of soup. Her cheeks were red, a stupid, horrible shade of red that was making Inuyasha grumpier the longer he looked at it.

And then it got even worse.

She _squealed_. "YES!" she yelled, fist-pumping into the air.

Inuyasha couldn't help but stare wide-eyed. This was horrendous and frightening and _what the hell happened to this version of her?_

Kagome practically sang while she bopped up and down the aisles, picking up food here and there. It wasn't until some girly ring tone blasted from her purse did she stop. "Hi Dad, did Momma forget something on the list?"

The way her body instantly went on alert had Inuyasha's mind reeling, trying to place where he was in her memories. The thing was that it should have been obvious from the beginning.

"What do you mean run away?" Kagome asked, sounding terrified and small and everything that she shouldn't sound like – didn't sound like now. "Dad, no– Where are you hurt? Dad come on, just tell me where you–" A cry broke out then, tiny and insignificant. She huddled closer in on herself, turned into the shelf so that passer-by wouldn't notice her tears. Inuyasha walked over to her, desperate to touch her.

She still couldn't see him.

"I'll come get you, please, I don't understand. Who is after me?" Kagome wiped at her tears. "No, Dad I'm going to go home and get– You can't just send me _away_!" she exclaimed. She grew silent then, her tears flowing down in silent paths. "What do you mean they'll kill me? Where are you Dad?"

More silence, more words from her father on the other end. Inuyasha couldn't hear it, only her side of the conversation.

"Never?" The question was barely a whisper. "I love you too Dad, but please tell me– Why? Why do I have to? No, no I'm not leaving you–" She backed away from the shelf, head creased as if in pain before she started to run, her cart left behind. Kagome barely remembered to grab her purse as she slid between other shoppers. She was yelling on the phone now, words so mangled by sobs and tears that he couldn't make most of it out.

Inuyasha stayed beside her, keeping up and waving his arms around her, through her. He needed to get her attention because this… After this was bad. He remembered so long ago when they first went to Boomerang's and Kagome admitted her past and how she learned of her powers. It wasn't pretty, it was painful. He was positive that the phone call she received was from her dying father after he was attacked by whatever the hell demons did this. If he could, he'd hunt them down and slaughter them but he distinctly remembered that she accomplished that task later on.

He wouldn't get in the way of her revenge.

"No Dad, stay with me don't you dare hang up!" The words were shouted into the night air, taken away by the light summer breeze. Kagome stood in the middle of the busy parking lot, chest heaving as she attempted to wipe away her tears. When she slowly pulled the cell phone away from her ear, she was practically hyperventilating. Inuyasha had yet to see her like this, so broken and vulnerable. Sure, he saw her at Boomerang's when she was fuelled by alcohol, but that…that was nothing compared to this. This was fresh pain, a wound ripped raw. The Wadsworth Incident and the fight with Naraku had nothing on this.

"Come on," he said firmly, reaching for her hips, her shoulders, her hair. No part of him physically touched her, like it was a mere illusion. She wasn't paying attention to him and now he was helpless but to watch her fall downhill. "Kagome please."

"What is going on?" Kagome whispered out, the sound mangled as she clutched at her head. She stumbled a little, catching her balance at the last second as she dialled a number on her cell.

Inuyasha didn't know who she was calling, but the moment he went to check a familiar scent surrounded him. He knew exactly what was going to happen. "Kagome, move!" he yelled, trying to push her, grab her, _anything._ "Dammit Kagome, run!" Inky blackness surrounded them, a split second before a man stood in front of them with red eyes and a wicked grin.

Kagome paid no mind, hand now pressing against her head. "Momma? Mom, what's going on? Do you–"

"Now, now," the man said, ripping the cell phone from her grip and getting Kagome's attention. She gasped at first, stumbling back towards the store. When he grabbed her wrist and jerked her closer she screamed. "Wouldn't want Mommy Dearest of yours to get hurt like your daddy now, do you? And that little brother of yours is doing his homework. He's got a test tomorrow."

"Who are you?" Kagome exclaimed, trying to pull away, push away. Inuyasha was right there, wishing he could do something other than swish through them like air. "Let go of me!"

"No, see I can't do that," the demon hissed. "You are going to be the one that ends it all and I can't let that happen."

Kagome sobbed. "I don't know what you're taking about. Let go of me! _Let go of me!_"

"Hey man, let go!" Out of the blue two guys walked over, dropping their grocery bags as they came to help. Inuyasha watched in horror, knowing that there was absolutely nothing they could do to save her or themselves. They were all dead now.

_But she lives somehow_.

One of the men pried at Kagome while the other went at the demon, punching him in the face and reeling backwards when it did nothing. The men were yelling at each other, the demon and Kagome. Everything was blurring, too much information and action being packed into mere seconds. Suddenly Kagome was free, a shriek filling the air. More people were coming, drawn by the sounds and the fight. He stood by Kagome through all of it, as she pushed past the people and out behind them. She ran towards her car, throwing the keys in the ignition and starting it up. He ran beside her as she haphazardly drove through the streets, swerving around turns and weaving over lanes. Finally she stopped in an abandoned lot, car humming with relief as she turned it off. Inuyasha could only watch as she rested her head against the steering wheel, her chest heaving up and down as she cried.

She couldn't go home because her mom and brother would be killed. Her father was most likely already dead and his last conversation with her he told her to run away, far away and not go home.

He could only imagine.

Inuyasha slid into the passenger side of the car, unsure as to how he managed to remain inside. He didn't care; as long as he was with Kagome. She was sobbing, mumbling incoherent words that made no sense. He sat there regardless, being there with her even if he couldn't physically be of comfort.

"I need help." Those three words were the first that he could understand. Kagome sat up, brushing away wet bangs from her face as she leaned back into the leather seat. "I need help."

He didn't know who she was talking to but her eyes were cast upwards, a silent plea to those above, and Inuyasha wondered if she had even believed in a Heaven or Hell before this whole mess.

"Please!" she screamed, raking hands through her hair in desperation. "Please I need someone to help me! I need _anyone_ that can tell me what's going on because…because…" She broke into heavy tears, hand coming up to cover her eyes.

Inuyasha reached over, his hand hovering just above hers. He would be touching her if he was real in her memories but he'd settle for whatever he could get. "I'm here. I've always been here." The truth behind his words – the following he'd done ever since she shot and left him – made it almost painful to bear. It was all his fault that this was happening. If he had stopped this – maybe never met her – she wouldn't be in this mess in the first place. She'd be fighting, sure, but she'd never had fought Naraku then and there, had never fought with him, had never got drunk and stupid and ended up kidnapped by Kagura and Kanna.

This was entirely his fault and he'd never forgive himself for it.

The second the words left his lips Kagome jumped, flattening herself against the door and looking at him with panicking brown eyes. "You– You– Inuyasha, what?"

Inuyasha looked around the car, realizing that she indeed said his name and that she was freaking out because of him. She knew he was here now, somehow and someway… Maybe it was because she was asking for help from anyone and now she was open to it, aware of anything that could be there. "Kagome," he said hesitantly. "Kagome this is a dream. This isn't real, you need to wake up."

"What? No, Inuyasha, why are you here it's–"

"This is a dream, dammit," he snapped. "You need to wake up or you'll be stuck here forever. _Wake up_."

The last thing he saw before blinding white was a tear slip down her stained cheeks.

When he woke up, it was like rising from the grave. His head was pounding, body sore like he had been hit by a truck. He shifted in discomfort, realizing he was lying on top of her legs and sitting up. Beside him Kagome was stirring, body twitching slowly awake. "Thank god," he whispered, barely cringing at the word choice. Instead he reached over to her, touching her stomach, arms, shoulders and neck all because now he could. Bending down, he rested his forehead against hers. She was okay, she was waking up.

"Inuyasha?" His name was barely a whisper on her lips but he smiled anyway, lifting up only an inch to give more room.

"Yeah, it's me. Stop being so stupid, it'd make my life easier," he murmured, watching as her brows creased in confusion.

She was waking up so now, everything would be okay. He let go of her slowly, regretting the loss of contact. One last look at her, as her big brown eyes finally opened, and he turned tail and ran.

* * *

I felt like _shit._ It was like the world around me was spinning uncontrollably, tilting on a brand new axis. I tried to wake up, to lift myself from the darkness that surrounded my mind like a warm blanket, lulling me back in. I had to wake up because something – somebody – wanted me to.

The first touch and I knew exactly who it was. Inuyasha was leaning against me, his hands touching me like he was deprived. I tried to stir, to look up at him, but all I could manage was to whisper his name.

There was a huff of air – probably a chuckle – that splashed across my cheek. "Yeah, it's me," he murmured deeply, his voice a deep rumble that I could feel over my entire body. "Stop being so stupid, it'd make my life easier." Easier how?

The darkness was lifting, fading and soon I could see colours. I was somewhere…different than I was before. The mattress underneath me was nearly painful it was so lumpy but I ignored it for looking around, trying to find Inuyasha.

I only caught he wisp of black hair through the doorway. He had left and I was here all alone, after whatever the hell just happened. As the memories flooded back, I bit my lower lip and refused to cry anymore. I refused to cry over the past, over things that couldn't be changed and over him.

But I really, really wanted to.

* * *

**Feedback is appreciated!**


	28. Raise a Little Hell

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story._

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: Raise a Little Hell**

* * *

"_Black, black, black and blue, beat me 'til I'm numb. Tell the Devil I say hey when you get back to where you're from. Mad woman, bad woman, that's just what you are. Yeah, you'll smile in my face then rip the brakes out my car."_

_-Grenade, Bruno Mars_

* * *

The worst part in all of this was that I was _glad _he left, _glad _that I acknowledged this fact. Because who really cared if I used to have – did have – feelings for him? It didn't matter now because it couldn't. Inuyasha betrayed me, plain and simple, and just because he saved me didn't mean he was forgiven.

And honestly, how terrible did that make me?

Actually, in a sense his saving me made things worse. The only way he could've known was that he was following me. Being the damn half-demon he was I couldn't read him on my radar and that was annoying. I didn't need him trailing me; I could take care of my own.

_Apparently, you can't._

It took me at least an hour to get my bearings. I felt heavier than usual, like I had come out of a heavy sleep that I just couldn't shake off. When I realized I was stuck in the middle of nowhere, with absolutely no way to get back to the inn where I was staying, I started to feel a little desperate. My head was hurting, my body ached and all I wanted to do was kill something.

First, I needed to get back.

"I don't suppose you'd help me?" I called out, pushing out the doors of the abandoned building to look at the sky that was slowly brightening on the horizon. "Midoriko? Can I get some help, please?" If anything I needed a miracle. I needed my stuff, my car and an empty road to drive on. I needed to get away from Inuyasha as fast as I possibly could.

I didn't want him around anymore.

Looking down the gravel road, I sighed. I couldn't remember the ritual to bring the angel to me and I didn't have a cup or holy water on hand. I was trapped here, with only my two legs to get back. If I managed to find a trucker to hitch a ride with, then maybe I'd have some luck. But who knew where I was? And I didn't have any money or weapons of any kind. I could fight my way out of nearly anything human but it didn't mean I wasn't still vulnerable to demon attacks.

What if Inuyasha's work was only temporary? What if whatever demon took me came back?

It was then with a shocking realization I had no clue what went on. I remembered my dream, a vivid dream that went down memory lane until Inuyasha busted in. I couldn't recall much more than that, the only thing earlier being crashing at the inn. Who took me? Why was I taken at all and not killed immediately? Most demons would've taken the chance to annihilate me. This demon…they were after something else.

"Come on, dammit!" I yelled, glaring at pink sky. "Can someone get me back to my room?" Growling in frustration, I kicked at a rock and started walking. I'd have to find some sort of town, maybe hotwire a car to get on my way back. Was I even still in Canada? This could turn out so badly for me; I could be stuck here.

"My star, you always seem to get into these absurd messes," a deep voice – a familiar voice – cooed behind me. The beeping in my head was instant and loud, coming out of nowhere like the demon just appeared.

Knowing Astaroth, he probably did just poof from nothing.

"What are you doing here?" I sighed, continuing to storm down the road because if I pretended the damn duke of Hell didn't exist, then he didn't exist. When he suddenly appeared in front of me, ruby eyes piercing into my brown ones and grinned, I had to admit that maybe he was there after all. Dammit.

"I thought you wanted some help," Astaroth replied, wide smile still in place. "I'd have no qualms taking you to bed."

"Oh burn in hell," I snapped, swinging my fist towards his face and yelling in aggravation when he just disappeared. "You fucking _asshole _I don't need this right now!"

"Right," Astaroth said from the right side of me. When I turned and saw his smug, stupid face, I wish I could punch him over and over. "So you found out about Inuyasha's past, big whoop. You still have a job to do."

"A _job to do_?" I screeched, feeling my hands clench, my chest hurt. "I never _wanted _any of this! I certainly don't want to do this anymore. I'm not going to play in any part of this."

Astaroth looked like he was about to ponder it, shaking his head seconds later. "Nah, I really think that you will. You have to."

"Shove it up your ass," I hissed, flipping him off and walking away. Maybe the duke of Hell would give up and leave me alone.

"So what if he used you." The smooth accented words grated on my nerves. "I can't believe you didn't honestly see it coming. He played you like his personal fiddle and if I heard right, he _played _you w–"

It was instinctual, the way my hands unclenched and they swung around to face the demon. I saw red eyes widen, pink light flashing so brightly in front of me that I had to turn my head away. It felt like forever, the intense shudder of my body getting worse and worse. My body felt like it was draining, like the life was being sucked out of me slowly and surely.

A hiss of breath and suddenly it was gone, the pain in my lungs forcing me to gasp in air. I stumbled, stepping backwards along the gravel road. I heard cursing all around me, almost too loud. Every part of me was thrumming and weakening at the same time. I collapsed to the ground, unable to hold my own anymore. My arm pillowed my head from the rocks and I melted into the ground gratefully.

"Fucking hell," Astaroth cursed from somewhere around me. I heard his ragged breathing but I could only see his blurry image on top of me. "Inuyasha was right, you're far more powerful."

I gulped in air, trying to slow my racing heartbeat. "You…talked to…him?"

Astaroth gave me a shaky breath. It sounded like something was wrong with him but I couldn't see. All I heard was our combined harsh breathing and the beeping in my head. "It's a demon thing my star. I'll take you back, on one condition."

I closed my eyes and waited. I wasn't going to put up a fight now – I physically couldn't.

"Never attempt to blast my arm off again, thank you. You're lucky I moved out of the way and it was only a graze," the duke of Hell said mildly. "I mean, who else is on your side helping you? Still, it hurts like a bitch."

…I hurt him?

But before I could question it any further, suddenly my head wasn't pillowed on my arm. I felt my entire body melt into a soft mattress. I wanted to focus better, to see what was going on. "Astaroth, the hell?" I asked. I felt so utterly drained that muttering the words was almost too much of an effort.

"Sleep and when you wake up, find Naraku," I heard the duke of Hell say.

I would've argued with him, telling him that _no thank you _I was not going to find Naraku. I was done with that part of my life and honestly, I've given up on the idea of being free. Clearly no matter what I did, it was always going to blow up in my face. But sleep was heavy upon me and just as the beeping in my head silenced, I let myself slip into the darkness.

* * *

It had been two days – two days of figuring my shit out and getting my head on right – before I finally got back into the swing of things. It turned out that a job wasn't far away, in fact, I had run into it earlier. It seemed like some sort of demon I had yet to determine was killing people renting out rooms. The best example being the motel I had stopped at before the whole kidnapped fiasco. It turned out there had been a previous death only a few days before at a proper hotel ten minutes away.

Getting in the motel hadn't been hard. The guy barely batted an eyelash when I specifically requested the room beside the one where the dead body had once been. After that, all it took was a quick lock pick and I was inspecting the room where a man by the name of Shuran Takatsuka had been murdered. The room was still a mess and although it was clear the crime scene clean-up crew had been there to remove any and all blood stains, it didn't really matter because demons didn't leave things humans could necessarily catch.

The problem was that there was nothing demonic left behind. I couldn't see any traces of sulphur and Inu– Well, I couldn't smell if it had been there once upon a time. There weren't any security cameras on the premises and while the few people who were staying here looked friendly enough, none of them were probably here during the time of the murder.

I'd have to do some more high profile work.

Slipping out of the room and into the night, I quickly made my way to the door of my room, hand stilling on the handle. Frozen to the spot I waited, listening to the absolute silence.

Was he here? Was Inuyasha still following me, tracing my every move?

I turned around and studied the gravel parking lot and what little lay beyond. Nothing moved, nothing cracked and for the first time in a while I wondered if I was potentially losing it. There was no way to figure out if the half-demon was truly there. He could be and I would never know. How could I? There was no radar for me to track and if Inuyasha was silent and invisible to my human eye, there was no chance I'd find him.

"You bastard," I whispered, mostly to myself. Stepping away from the door I sat down on the curb that separated the motel from the parking lot. I took a second to enjoy the night sky, staring at the few stars that twinkled in the inky blackness.

What lay ahead of me? What was I going to do now? A part of me wanted to head back into my room, get the keys to the Corvette and drive to the nearest liquor store. The heavy warmth of alcohol would help with the confusion and frequent stabbing I felt, but I was done with that. I wasn't an alcoholic, never had used the liquid to fix my problems even before. Sure, it was a convenient getaway – an escape from reality for a few lonely hours. But I didn't need that. I sure as hell was stronger than that.

I didn't need the half-demon to come to my rescue anymore, not if I could help it.

Sighing, I put my head in my hands and ignored the other part of me – the smaller part of me – that wanted to scream out Inuyasha's name and demand that he come back.

* * *

Hotels weren't hard to sneak into, not by a long shot. As long as you walked and went to the elevator like you knew exactly where you were going, no one would stop you. No one would remotely question your appearance there.

However, hotels had real working security cameras.

And they were everywhere.

There was very little you could do to get by them without being detected, so I went for the way that was more than a little dangerous and a lot crazy. But that was okay, because I was just a demon slayer with no family ties and no one for backup. If I got caught, no one would suffer as collateral damage. It was better that way, it was why I didn't let Sango and Miroku stay with me that often. They had each other and they had Boomerang's. They had friends and some distant family.

Speaking of which, when my phone rang I groaned. Sango and Miroku wouldn't give up. They continued to call me, over and over. I listened to the voice messages and read the texts but all I had done in response was text them that I was okay. I didn't want to deal with them, not yet.

Tugging on the red hair again, I smoothed down the wig and tugged at the oversized suit jacket. It was padded at the shoulders, and the pants that went with it where just that bit too long. It allowed me to wear platform heels without anyone really being aware. These little things wouldn't help if anyone stopped me face-to-face, but if I managed to escape any video feed would give off false information about my height, width and hair colour.

The hotel was on West Broadway, in a busy part of Vancouver. The street outside was lined with cafés and businesses. A few cars lined the side of the busy roads, trees bare and bending with the chilly wind. It was cold here, unbelievably cold, but as I locked my car and left the camera-less parking lot, I hurriedly ran inside to stave off the chill. Inside was nice but basic, the front reception busy with a few clients and the elevator doors just in sight. I kept my gaze low but shoulders squared and confident as I went to the stairs. The murder occurred on the third floor, a woman by the name of Karan Teppozuka found on her bed with no vital signs. Somehow, even when lying face up, she had drowned. The newspaper articles didn't release much more, so I had no idea how the bodies looked. I was hoping that I'd be able to find something here that I didn't at the motel, although I wasn't holding my breath.

I avoided the elevators right now because I needed a way into the room and I'd have to get a card to do that. This was around the time housekeeping would be making rotations, so I had to hope that I'd find someone I could get a key off of. It took me seven flights of climbing, but eventually there was a maid I found where the card key was reachable without being overly obvious. It was a lucky break that I knew I wouldn't get for the rest of the day. Soon the maid would find out, security would get involved and they would be looking for me. I had maybe twenty minutes.

Rushing down the stairs to the third floor, I suddenly paused, realizing what was probably the biggest flaw of all time.

What fucking room was it?

The motel was obvious since I had been there previously and saw where the man was rushing to. But the hotel was completely different, and there was no release of the exact room number, except the floor. I was utterly screwed.

This just went to show how I didn't think this through at all.

As I walked down the hall, I realized there had to be some sort of clue that I could pick out. The case was still open so the room, even if cleaned, would still be unusable. There had to be something that told the maids not to enter.

A 'do not disturb' sign wasn't enough, but when I saw a band of red tape from one side of the trim to the next covering a door, I knew it had to be there. The tape was to ensure no one tampered with the scene because it would rip or break had the door been opened.

Well, now I was going to open it. I took out my keys, slicing the cracks on either side of the door before sliding in the card key and entering. I had maybe ten minutes to search the room – if I was lucky. With the way things were turning out thus far, I really didn't think so. Just like the motel room, the king-bed suite was utterly sparkling. I searched everything, up and down the bedroom to no avail. It wasn't until I quickly scanned the bathroom that I found any sort of clue.

Stuck in the drain plug of the bathtub was a scale, blue and yellow in nature that glinted with the artificial light. Cautiously I picked it up, examining the tiny thing. I looked reptilian at least, nothing that was so overly demonic it couldn't be placed. Putting it back down, I turned off all the lights and vanished from the room, throwing the maid's key card towards the stairs.

It was time to run.

* * *

After four hours scanning the web and my old notes, I finally narrowed down my suspect list and determined what the demon most likely was.

Kappas were from Japanese mythology, and looked like monkeys on steroids. They're put as a subgroup of water sprites, because there's an indentation at the top of the head where water sits. For a Kappa to survive out of water, the indentation must be full at all times. If it were to spill out, the demon would become paralysed. They were strange creatures – polite but deadly, especially when it came to women and children – and I had a feeling the Kappa was killing out of the sheer need to quell boredom. Kappas were creatures of trouble; they thrived on it. I'd have to be careful when dealing with them.

Since they were water creatures, I could only assume I'd find the demon I was hunting at a nearby location that held a river or water. Vancouver wasn't landlocked, and less than ten minutes away was False Creek. It was definitely worth a shot.

I travelled at night, waiting in my motel room until it was dark and the moon twinkled in the sky. My car was already packed and my gun was securely in place. These demons wouldn't be hard to take down – all I had to do was find them.

Thirty minutes later, the familiar beep in my head started to tick slowly off. I was approaching a marina, boats lined up and gently rocking with the waves. I pulled over my car and turned off the lights, assessing how far this demon was and if it potentially already knew I was coming.

My cell phone vibrating in my pocket did not help me to prepare in anyway. When I saw it was Boomerang's main line I ended the call, tossing it in the cup holder. I was on a case dammit. Their thoughts would just have to wait, again.

The phone went off once more.

Rolling my eyes, I got out of the Corvette and locked it. I would approach the demon on foot, try and get a sneak attack on the Kappa before it noticed. I was getting stronger; I could feel it. The power to pull at the demon was already pressing on my finger tips, my body thrumming with energy. I could make quick work of this and be gone within the hour if everything went right.

Approaching the docks in near silence, I slid through lanes and large buildings, listening to the beeping radar in my head. I could sense how close I was getting, how close the Kappa was to me. It wasn't moving much, if the gradual way the radar blipped was any indication. Grabbing my gun I flicked off the safety, pausing, waiting.

The delicate noise of a tiny splash rang loud in my ears. I slipped around a half wall, focusing my eyes on the few feet I had before land became water. I had yet to see the demon, and even now I couldn't tell where the splash was made. The water was still, save for the gentle waves that rolled in. Inching forward and crouching down low, I made my way to the water. It was so dark out and the marina had no good lighting to see from. The radar in my head was getting louder, almost too loud and I stopped, waited. I couldn't see anything. There was nothing around me, nothing so close that the radar should be this loud.

The sound of crumbling made me jerk around, just in time to see a humanoid creature leaping off the half wall. I tucked and rolled, loudly cursing as a puff of dirt splashed my neck from the close proximity. I was on my knees when the Kappa came back at me, kicking at my chest, making me fly backwards.

"Son of bitch," I hissed, kicking out my own feet when the demon came back for more. The Kappa stumbled back, barely keeping balance. I had only enough time to get on my feet and dodge before the demon ran at me. I flew out my fist at his passing back, noticing how he balanced himself. He was so precarious and it only clicked then about the water. If the water fell off his head, he'd be done for.

A painful hiss rang out through the night. The Kappa turned to glare at me, big red eyes standing out of a face shaped like a monkey's. The ears tweaked, flickering so fast and his upper lip curled in distaste.

I held out my gun, pointing it at his chest. "You're done–"

"Kikyo, right?" the Kappa rumbled, the words seeming so foreign coming from the monkey's lips.

I froze, my hands tightening on the gun. "What did you say?"

The snarl twisted into a half-smile, the demon's ruby eyes glinting. "No, no, it's Kagome. Kikyo died screaming, I remember now."

_Naraku laughed. "The Shikon no Tama will never give you what you want and for every bitch you bring me, I will kill them slower and slower. Remember how Kikyo died? How long did her heart keep beating, even though she was too far gone? She practically killed herself. All those open cuts and her heart kept pumping the blood out and out, spilling to the floor."_

Kikyo…the Chosen One before me. The one Inuyasha tricked into helping him, who ended up dying because she didn't know the truth. And when she died, _I_ was born into this. Into this life where all I did was kill and run and hide. The law didn't agree with me, I couldn't mingle with regular people because none of them _knew_. There was nothing I could do about it either. This was given to me; this blessing and curse that seemed hell bent to destroy my life, to break me into a thousand pieces.

"Go fuck yourself," I snarled, pulling the trigger, aiming now for the head. The demon fell back, frozen into a position of flailing and shock. Gun still out I approached the Kappa, seeing the demon's eyes continue to move. There was a wet patch of water soaking into the ground and without it, the Kappa was paralysed. This demon killed two people that I knew of, probably more in other towns and cities.

I felt the anger bubble within me, but this time it was different. It wasn't like what happened with Astaroth, when I was upset and angry and confused. This was focused and brutal, and I opened my hand that hovered over him. I was still standing, still not close enough to pull him. Or so I thought. Pink light danced around my fingers and my whole hand and arm flexed as I felt the connection between my powers and the demon's black heart.

My fist snapped closed, the pink light dissipating in seconds and the demon slowly started to melt. The creature – with the body of a human but traits of a monkey – started to break down into water, and slowly, gently, trickled down the small hill and into the waiting waves.

I watched in stunned fascination, my eyes focused on the water until I blinked at my hand. How had I done that? I had never, ever, been able to pull any demon without physical touch. This was something different, this power was something far stronger than I had ever experienced. If I could pull a demon only a couple feet away… Could I pull a demon from a longer range?

The implications of what could be whirled in my mind and hastily I made it back to the Corvette, sliding behind the wheel and still feeling dazed. I turned to my phone, checking to see that I had two missed calls and only one voicemail. Typing in the password, I waited until the robotic voice changed into a message.

_Kagome, it's Sango. I- I need you to come back, okay? I'm scared for you and I miss you. Come back to Boomerang's okay? Just… We don't even need to talk about it._

I sighed, closing my eyes and realizing with a lurch that I did miss them. I didn't want to go back there, I felt nauseous at the thought, but I did miss them.

And with these new powers, I needed to talk to somebody.

Maine was at least a full three days of driving. It would take some time to get there from Vancouver but if I didn't make any unnecessary stops, I could be just that little bit faster.

* * *

My body was screaming. Every position I wiggled into didn't help. I had been driving for three days, with only a few pit stops in between for food and washroom. I rented a room earlier this morning, jumping into the shower and letting the water wash away the dirt and grim from days before. I felt tired and overwhelmed, but it was only a few more hours until I was at Boomerang's, so soon it would all be worth it.

And then my phone rang.

I hadn't called Sango or Miroku back to let them know I was coming, so I wasn't all that surprised that they were calling me again. With the knowledge I would be there soon anyways, I answered the cell and pressed it to my ear.

"Hey I–"

"Where are you?" Sango's voice was strained and it sounded like she was crying. There was a hesitation in her voice that was rarely there, that I only heard a long time ago when she was dealing with the hardest times of my life.

I frowned. "On my way, what's going on?"

"Kags, I need you to come here okay? Drop everything that you're doing and come here."

I paused, my frown deepening. Sango called me a nickname that I refused to abide to. Something was going on there, something that wasn't good. "I'm coming."

And just like that, the phone went dead.

I slammed my foot down on the pedal, wondering what the hell could be happening to have Sango like that. There were tons of demon slayers there. Many of them rented out for a few days before leaving back on cases. It couldn't be a demon attack, because what demon would be able to ward off so many people? It would only get worse too as the night went on and more demon slayers came in. it would only be a matter of time.

Still, I didn't hesitate to start weaving between lanes on the highway. I had to make it there and fast. Sango and Miroku were the only two people I really, truly cared about it in the world. I had to make sure they were alright and I would do whatever I could to stop what was hurting them.

I skidded to a halt at the front doors of Boomerang's an hour later, with absolutely no recollection of how I got from point A to point B. But I was a woman on a mission and the moment I turned off the ignition and burst through the doors, I could tell what was wrong immediately.

The demon radar ticked loudly in my head.

"Fuck, Kagome you're here," Bankotsu said, relief clear in his face as he rushed up to me and grabbed my elbow.

I shook him off, glaring. "What the hell is going on?"

"It's a demon!" someone shouted from the group. There had to be maybe twenty demon slayers in the bar and all of them looked rather anxious.

I looked around incredulously, focusing on Bankotsu a second later. "What? And none of you could kill it?"

"It has Miroku literally hovering at death. Sango said if anyone did anything to kill Miroku, she'd kill them herself. She's… Well, you know." Bankotsu winced a little, shrugging. "But then again I don't really know how it feels."

_How it feels to love someone_. I nodded, forcing down the bile in my throat from things I didn't want to think about.

"Two others tried to take down the demon anyways. Both are dead and the thing barely blinked." Bankotsu grabbed my arm again, looking serious. "Sango's tied up and Miroku's in another corner. The demon's blocked them in this room. It wants you."

"Me?" I asked, letting the other demon slayer drag me along. Other demon slayers, both familiar and strange watched me with curious gazes. "What the fuck does it want me for?"

"Ooh _star_, my darling, won't you come here?" Astaroth cooed, laughing all the while and instantly my mind clicked the pieces together.

"Apparently he knows you," Bankotsu hissed, his curiosity mixing with barely visible anger. He wondered why this demon knew me, why this demon specifically wanted me. It looked suspicious, I could see it as clear as day. It didn't mean I couldn't be angry right back though.

I flicked my fist at his chest, not hard enough to do anything but just so he'd let go. I turned around, entering the doorway. The dark-skinned demon grinned, big and wide. His red eyes focused on me. "It took you long enough."

"I was pretty far away," I answered briskly. I looked around, seeing Sango gagged in a corner but making strangled noises all the while. Miroku was beside Astaroth on a table, looking as pale as the dead. I could see his chest barely moving up and down. "What the hell do you want? You're really taking chances coming here."

I heard the whispers from behind me and I turned around, seeing as many people jammed behind the door as possible. None of them came in, and it wasn't hard to see why. The two bodies of the dead demon slayers were slumped to the side just past the entranceway. Astaroth probably killed them as they crossed the threshold.

"I told them only you could come in here," Astaroth said simply, shrugging. "Some didn't listen and well, they died."

"Couldn't tell," I responded dryly, eyes skimming over the dead before turning to face the duke of Hell. "But you didn't answer my question."

Astaroth smiled again, tilting his head like a dog. "Last time we met, I told you to kill Naraku, to hunt him down and kill him. Instead you stayed in your little Canadian city and dealt with things that were below you and your powers."

"It was still killing people and it's still my job to get rid of demons," I replied. "I told you I'm not going after Naraku. I'm done with it."

Miroku gasped loudly, sounding more in pain than any whisper of breath had a right to. Sango cried a little harder in the corner, her makeup running down her face. Astaroth took four calculated steps towards me from the table, glaring. "You're done with it when that _fucking_ insolent child is dead. Do you understand me?" There was anger there, so much that I'd never seen before. Usually the duke was composed and proper. The accent in his voice was like steel, cutting and harsh. "You will kill Naraku."

"I don' t work for demons," I stated, biting my bottom lip hard when Miroku cried out again. Some slayers behind me started to yell.

The smile that blossomed on Astaroth's face was so startling, I had no time to warn anyone, to say anything to stop it. A scream. A choked cry.

"Fuck!" someone yelled from behind and I turned, seeing another dead body on the ground, foam spilling out of his mouth.

"Say no to me again," Astaroth hissed. "I dare you."

"Kill them then." I met him with an even stare. "I told you, I'm done."

"Interesting," Astaroth noted, his accent immensely thick. "Aamon, come here, will you?"

The lights within the room flickered, darkness completely enveloping before flashing back on. Suddenly another man was there, looking to be in his sixties with greying hair and ice blue eyes. I remembered the first time I met him, so long ago. He had been in another human, using the vessel to hold his body. Obviously he'd found a new one.

"Yes Master," Aamon murmured softly, blue eyes focused on me. They turned red for an instant, melting back into the lighter hue. I couldn't help but feel sick.

The feeling only got worse. "Kill her," Astaroth said smoothly, his own red eyes never leaving mine.

At first I tensed for an attack, waiting for the moment that Aamon pounced. It wasn't until he turned around and marched straight towards Sango that everything started to fall apart. "No," I said firmly. When Aamon continued towards her, picking up a knife from the table where Miroku lay, I panicked. "Stop it, goddammit!"

"Kill Naraku."

"Fine," I hissed, immediately. "I'll go after Naraku. I'll kill him myself and purify his demonic ass back to Hell. Now leave Sango alone."

Aamon looked put-upon, his eyes unwavering on his master. Astaroth shook his head. "I need her dead so that you don't think twice next time I ask you to _do something_. And your pal over there, Miroku, will be dead if you don't complete it. Aamon, go ahead."

Sango's milky brown eyes looked at me, tears streaming down. The cloth around her face was stained wet, partially black from the run of makeup. She looked so scared, so fucking terrified. It bled into me, the fear and the anger. This time I knew what I was doing as I lifted my hand, watching as the pink light started to expand.

Sharp pain flooded through my arm, Astaroth's grunt and strength pushing my arm up and my body back into the far wall. Drywall fell around us, crumbles of dust dancing down. Astaroth was far too close to me, his red eyes glaring into my own.

"Last time you did that, I had to go back to Hell in order to revitalize myself. Apparently, even a grazed burn of purity infects the entire system. You're lucky that I'm not dead."

I spat in his face. "You fucking kill her and the deal is _off_. I'll do it, you have my word and that should be enough."

"Your word?" Astaroth laughed. "My star, if I took anyone's _word_ things would be a lot different than they are now."

There was a flash of movement, another demon slayer breaking through the doorway. Astaroth's body prevented me from doing anything but soon I heard a scream, the sounds of more bodies moving through and fighting. Astaroth winked at me and suddenly I was free, but I was the only one. Every demon slayer that had passed through was pressed down on the floor, their bodies convulsing with the pressure. Aamon stood in the middle, his knife dripping red from the blood of another fallen demon slayer.

"Aamon, now before I have to waste anymore energy," Astaroth said, sounding jovial, like he wasn't killing everyone in the room. There was no outwards appearance that the work it took to hold at least twenty demon slayers did anything to him. It was terrifying and the moment I saw his lackey approach me, knife still in hand, I could only walk backwards into the wall. There was literally no escape and absolutely no one to help me.

"Calm down," Aamon soothed, tossing the knife away carelessly. "I'm just going to take a peek, like last time. Remember that?" His arm pressed against my throat, his left hand coming up to touch my forehead. "Just relax."

Scattered fragments and a blinding light was all I could see. Every image that broke through the light was gruesome, horrible and dark. They kept flickering, coming forward and pushing back just as quickly as they appeared. My whole body felt weak and soon Aamon's arm was the only thing keeping me standing. His fingers were suddenly gone, hand now used to wrap around my waist as I sagged downwards.

"Fuck," I hissed, unable to feel anything but helpless. "Why?"

But the demon lackey didn't listen to me, merely looking at his boss and shaking his head. "Without him, she's dead."

Astaroth raised an eyebrow, curiosity in his expression. "All of them?"

"Every single one where the half-demon isn't in the picture, she dies."

Sighing dramatically, the duke of Hell dragged me from Aamon's grasp, heaving me up until I was unsteadily standing. He bent down, lowering his head so that he could look me in the eye. "You are _really_ stupid," he murmured, shaking his head. "My star, if I wasn't so fond of you I'd have killed you years ago. Now please, you must kill Naraku– Pay attention, sweetheart. You _must _kill Naraku but you _must _have Inuyasha with you."

I frowned, still feeling incredibly weak. The room was spinning a little but I could understand what was being said. If I didn't have Inuyasha with me, I would always die at the hands of Naraku. I couldn't defeat him without the half-demon.

Well that just wasn't happening.

I tried to push away, to stand up and do something useful when I tripped on the body of a demon slayer, who grunted from my foot landing on his hip. I managed not to fall but my mind whirled like the room was spinning at top speed. Vertigo had never been so bad.

"Fucking hell," Astaroth spat, sounding far too irritated. He frowned angrily before pulling back his arms and shooting them forwards towards the door. At once, all of the demon slayers were shoved into the wall, piling on top of the each other like heaps of garbage. Satisfied he whipped around, poking my side. "Just because I like you, I'm even going to help you."

"No," I whispered, closing my eyes to fight off the nausea. "No, I don't need help. I can find him on my own." _I won't find him at all_. _I won't do that to myself again_.

Making a sound of disapproval, he snapped his fingers. "Well, I think you're lying so here you go. One half-demon all ripped and ready to go."

I snapped my gaze up, uncaring to the foggy haze of my mind as suddenly black hair and amber orbs caught my eyes. _Inuyasha_. He looked completely confused, body ragged and silver roots peaking from the black hair. His golden eyes were surprised, especially when they landed on me. He almost looked sorry.

Astaroth crowded up on him, clawed hand reaching out and slashing down his front before the half-demon could make a move. Blood leaked from the light shirt he was wearing and what was worse – what was way worse – was the fact that his two white ears were now perfectly in view.

The duke of Hell whipped around with a flourish, bowing not seconds later. He snapped his fingers, all the demon slayers gasping in relief before he flashed me a wicked grin. "Raise a little hell my star. Raise a little hell."

* * *

_**Comments to Acknowledge:**_

_NurNur: _You reviewed twice, because you're so sweet. Sorry this took so long hun! I hope you liked it anyways :)

_IrishIndy: _Well, it definitely circled around but I'll tell you that nothing will be fixed for a bit yet... Thanks hun!

* * *

_Feedback is love and happiness and warm little fuzzies that usually make me coo. If you want, or if you are so inclined :)_


	29. Die for How I Care

_**Author's Note: ***waves* So, How to Kill Me won first place for Best Lemon. Haha. Ha. Thank you guys :) More information is on my profile. Also, Operation: SWS has so far been a success! I am, however, wondering if anyone wants to do some art (banner/dividers) for my upcoming story "Thanks a Bunch (But I'm Not Getting Married)", which is part of the Happiness!Verse. More information is on my profile (everything is on my profile...) and you can PM me with any questions!_

_The title is inspired by Lady Gaga's song Americano._

_**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story._

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: Die for How I Care**

* * *

"_I loved you with a fire red, now it's turning blue and you say sorry like the angel Heaven let me think was you, but I'm afraid it's too late to apologize. It's too late."_

_-Apologize, OneRepublic_

* * *

It happened so fast I barely had time to think. Inuyasha's golden eyes were focused on me, partly in confusion and horror as he looked around the room. The group of demon slayers were around me, standing up warily as they stared.

This wasn't going to be good.

"Kagome, what the _fuck_ is going on?" Jakotsu shrieked, shakily standing up beside Bankotsu who looked just as pissed. "Who is that?"

I reacted immediately, running at Inuyasha and tackling him into the far corner of the room. I pushed, pushed as hard as I damn well could until he fit snugly against the wall. Inuyasha still remained confused, his hands on my waist and undetermined as to what they wanted to do. He licked his lips, a motion I could only follow with my eyes. I couldn't lean in, no matter how easy it would be.

He betrayed me. He had planned to leave me for dead.

"Kagome," he whispered, and his voice sounded hoarse, like he had been yelling repeatedly.

"I–"

"It's a demon!" I whipped around and halted my own speech, able to see Koharu Irvin running towards Sango. She was a younger female demon slayer that had only been recently changed. She was loud and obnoxious, but Koharu meant well. Right now though, I wanted to strangle her, even if she was untying a shaking Sango who merely stumbled to Miroku's cold body. Bankotsu pulled out his weapon, his friends right behind him after Koharu's little demon announcement.

Gasping I turned around, shielding Inuyasha with my body as best as I could. My gun was in hand, the gleaming silver making every demon slayer in the room stop. So many eyes were focused on me but all I could look at was Bankotsu's Band of Seven, all tensed and ready to attack. They were by far the most dangerous.

"What are you doing Kagome?" Bankotsu demanded, still looking about ready to shred something. "He's a demon."

"Half-demon, actually," Inuyasha added, lightly despite the hostile environment.

Someone from the group laughed, and I could tell what they were all thinking. Half-demons didn't exist. Well, welcome to my life.

"Back off," I ordered, making sure I was pressed up against Inuyasha. His body was warm and solid behind me, his clawed hands on my lower back as if he was about to push me away. "Anyone dares to kill him, I'll shoot you in the face first."

"What are you doing?" another voice shouted, sounding familiar but I couldn't see from the swarm of bodies on the other side of the room. "Kill him!"

Bankotsu frowned, his eyes narrowing. "It's that kid from last time!" he exclaimed, moving sideways to get a better look at Inuyasha. "It's the guy you brought last time we were all at Boomerang's, the one you fucking made out with!"

Oh. Right. _That._ Desperate times had called for desperate measures when Inuyasha's ears had appeared after a bar fight in the middle of Boomerang's. I kept my gun steady, even while my mind was churning with all the very bad, very terrible problems now arising. This automatically didn't look good. First of all I was protecting and saving a half-demon. Second of all now everyone knew we made out –even if it was for just pretend. Third of all…I was fucked.

"Are you siding with them?" The question came from Suikotsu, another of the Band of Seven. He was the nicest one out of all of them, but right now I could tell there was a vicious danger simmering underneath.

"Them? The demons?" I laughed, shaking my head. "No, I'm not. The demon that was in here before is named Astaroth, the duke of Hell. He's trying to get me to kill another demon."

It was the group's turn to laugh, nervous chuckles and cries of outrage at my answer. Apparently no one believed me. Shocking.

"Get out." I looked down to see Sango, hovering over Miroku's motionless body with shaking hands. She was looking at her lover but the statement was definitely not directed that way. When the black-haired woman looked up to see all of the demon slayers remaining, she clenched her fists. "I said to _fucking get out_!"

"But the demon!" Koharu started, taking a step towards Sango at the table. "Something's clearly wrong with Kagome–"

Sango snapped, her back straightening out as she turned on her heels towards the young demon slayer. "What part of 'fucking get out' don't you understand?" she hissed, more pissed off than I had ever seen her. "If I had to choose between any of you and Kagome, it's her because she's the only one who can save Miroku. Now _get out_!"

Most started to back off, a few bolting out of there. I lowered my gun, feeling Inuyasha relax behind me. But the worst wasn't over just yet.

"I can't," Bankotsu muttered, breaking through the room that was otherwise stuck in stunned silence. "Kagome, you need to talk to me and tell me what's going on. I can help you get out of this."

"You want me to explain it to you?" I shook my head. "Fine. The long story short is that I'm Heaven's Chosen One to destroy an evil half-demon named Naraku, who was originally human but performed a ritual to engulf demons and thus, become one. I have an angel named Midoriko who is rarely helpful, and a duke of Hell named Astaroth who thinks I'm the best thing since torture. Everyone wants me to kill Naraku with my special powers."

The few slayers that remained in the room froze. "What?"

"I'm fighting Heaven's battle, with Hell on the side," I explained further. It didn't sound any better – actually it sounded a hell of a lot worse – but there was nothing I could do. They wouldn't understand it anyways.

The click of steel had me whipping around, only to be thrown to the side. Inuyasha's body was on top of me, a growl ripping out of his throat as another bullet just barely missed us. He jumped up, emphasizing his strength as he leapt from the side wall to Bankotsu, smashing him into the wall.

"Dammit Inuyasha, put him down!" I yelled, watching in horror as Inuyasha was surrounded by demon slayers, all of them pulling out there weapons – guns, knives, and worse. This could only go downhill and there was no way I could stop them, no way right now that I could save Inuyasha with a crumpled Sango on the floor, a barely living Miroku and a half-demon that didn't know where the fuck he really was or how he got there. I was stuck in the middle of a clusterfuck of nonsense and soon, Inuyasha was going to die because of what Astaroth did.

The fucking bastard obviously didn't think that through. If I need Inuyasha to survive a battle with Naraku, then this was a sure-fire way to have him die and me along with him.

Inuyasha slammed Bankotsu's wrist into the wall, disarming the gun. He went to move but Bankotsu grabbed his chest, flipping him over and clenching his hand. He was trying to purify Inuyasha.

"No!" I screamed, scrambling to get over there. "No Bankotsu, _STOP!_" I couldn't breathe, not with the way my heart was beating so fast. Everything felt like it was tilted, like the world was flipping upside down and I was left with pieces falling everywhere. My chest hurt, my eyes burned, and I stood up with an effort greater than I ever knew. Panting, I let out a scream, a warning, to tell Inuyasha to get out, to stop Bankotsu from purifying my half-demon.

My fucking half-demon.

The room halted, the world stopped turning as I could see the demon slayer hesitate. His eyes widened, hand lifting off of Inuyasha's ratty shirt. He couldn't purify him, it didn't work. Bankotsu looked at me, and the horrified expression on his face made everyone else look too.

"Kagome?"

I took a deep breath, raising my arm towards the demon slayers, ignoring Sango's strangled whisper. "Let him go."

The group of slayers backed off right away, Koharu staring at me defiantly as she did so while the Band of Seven waited the longest. Bankotsu stood up, still hovering right over Inuyasha with an expression akin to trepidation. "Kagome, what's going on with you? How are you doing that?"

I didn't know what he was talking about; I couldn't concern myself with it. Breathing was still hard, my body was still shaking. It was like being on the most powerful drug, reaching the highest peak where I was limitless, invincible, but entirely unstable. "Inuyasha," I breathed, barely a whisper.

Inuyasha's ears twitched in my direction, the fuzzy triangles facing me before he slowly rolled and got to his knees. Even he looked worried, like I was about to bring out fire and brimstone. "I'm right here," he said gently, reaching his hand out even though he was on the other side of the room. "I'm coming, see?" He went to stand up.

And then I saw it, the gun poking from amidst the crowd, aimed at Inuyasha with deadly accuracy. The sneeze of the bullet flying through the silencer had me acting, straightening my arm and feeling my body lash out violently. It was like electricity – like a bolt of energy, raw and powerful – drawing from me. It shot out my hand, a burst of pink light shattering the bullet mere inches from the half-demon's head. I whipped around, staring at the crowd. Koharu was nowhere to be found.

"Where the _fuck _is she?" I demanded, stepping forward, feeling the rush, the adrenaline, the power. "Where did she go?"

"Stop Kagome, what are you doing?" Sango screamed, crying. "You're glowing, what's going on?"

Glowing? I didn't know what she was talking about. All I could feel was the thrum of energy, my pulse beating wildly in my veins, blood pumping like an unstoppable force. Inuyasha stood up and jumped, landing directly in front of me. His hands grabbed my wrists, his body pressing me backwards until I was stumbling back into the wall, blinking up at him.

"You need to relax," Inuyasha urged, his voice rough but insistent. "Stop it or you're going to hurt someone."

I watched his golden eyes, the flickers of amber that danced like shadows. I took a deep breath, feeling my body slowly drain of energy as I exhaled. I did it again, my eyes starting to close. "I don't–"

"Stop, just breathe," Inuyasha whispered, softly, gently. "Don't think, just do. I know that's difficult for you."

I blinked, my eyes feeling heavier and heavier.

"When I say to get out, I mean _getting fucking out_!" Sango yelled. I couldn't see her, only hear her voice that held a slight tremble.

"Kagome, relax now, it's okay," he kept saying, low and sweet.

"No, I have to…" I breathed in, too tired to finish the sentence, too drained. I felt myself slip down, being caught by strong arms and a warm chest. "I…"

"Sleep Kagome," Inuyasha murmured.

I let out another breath.

* * *

It came to me like a dream, a memory so hazy it didn't seem real. I knew it was though. It was so messed up it could only be real.

I opened my eyes, feeling like I had been sleeping for years. My body was yet again stiff and sore, and instantly I could relate it to the morning after Astaroth dropped me off at the inn in Canada. I had used my powers again – my powers, which were acting out in ways I had never experienced. It was so strong, so compelling.

Why was this happening all of a sudden? Why now, after I had already met Naraku and failed?

"Oh thank god," a pained voice whispered. Turning my head I saw Sango at the doorway, looking at me with big magenta eyes. Her skin was ashen, like she was sick and pushing her limits. Slowly she made her way to my bedside, grabbing my hand to stop me from moving. She smiled, tightly and with strain. "I was so worried for you," she said quietly.

"Sorry," I replied, clearing my throat when it came out all scratchy. "How long–?"

"A day. Inuyasha's been going out of his mind." Sango's lips tightened again. "You have a lot of explaining to do. Why wasn't he with you in the first place?"

"Uh," I mumbled, trying to figure out what to say. _I fell in love with him. He betrayed me and planned on killing me? Oh, and you were right, I shouldn't have trusted him. You can say 'I told you so' now. _"We haven't been together for two weeks."

Sango frowned. "Why not? What happened? Last time I saw you two everything seemed really…good."

None of this made sense. Maybe it was because of my foggy mind, or the fact that I had slept for twenty-four hours, but something wasn't clicking. "But you've been calling me ever since. I thought you knew. I got like…three texts, five calls and two voicemails per day."

Running a hand through her black hair, Sango stood up, looking far more alarmed then I wanted her to. "I did no such thing. Miroku didn't either."

I opened my mouth to argue, because I could show her my phone, I had proof. But why would Sango lie to me like that? And to be honest, how would she have even known in the beginning? Unless Inuyasha told her, and that would be stupid on his part. So how did Sango and Miroku come across the information that we split apart? Snapping my mouth closed, I realized the biggest mistake of them all.

Astaroth.

Sighing, I closed my eyes. "Inuyasha and I…had a fight. It was bad. Astaroth, the duke of Hell that I mentioned before, wasn't happy about it. Originally Inuyasha and I were to kill a man named Onigumo, only now he's transformed into this sort of half-demon named Naraku. He's trying to become a full demon using the power of the Shikon no Tama. Astaroth the demon and Midoriko the angel want me to get it from him, since I'm the only one that can touch the jewel." I took a breath, processing. "It's why the duke of Hell came here, and why he attacked you guys. I refused to help anymore since Inuyasha and I fought so… He tried to get me through other means."

I couldn't look at her. She was my best friend, and I had just put her at jeopardy for saying _no_. My selfishness and self-pity drove the demon to attack the only two people I really had left in this world. If I could go back and change it, I'd do it in a heartbeat.

"Kagome, stop it. I can see the gear turning in your head." Sango laughed a little, sitting back down and poking my face non-too-gently. "Don't…beat yourself up for what a demon did."

"It's still my fault," I murmured, clenching my jaw and finally looking at Sango. "I could've prevented it. How is Miroku?"

Sango shook her head but let the conversation drop. "He's fine I think. I'm not really sure but Inuyasha said he was recovering. It was something about a spell; it wears off. Astaroth left and it lifted, but Miroku's going to be bedridden for a few days. He's awake and lying in the living room. Inuyasha had to carry him the entire way."

I clenched my jaw, trying hard not to worry Sango further. It's not like she really knew. Astaroth had been playing mind games all along, so both Miroku and Sango both thought that things between Inuyasha and I were…amicable. They didn't even know the whole truth – the whole we-got-_together_ truth. But they wouldn't find that out, not yet. All they had to know at the moment was the basic fact that he betrayed me. I knew that I kept saying the same thing over and over but it didn't matter.

Betrayal was betrayal. He had planned on using me and then killing me. It's not like Inuyasha planned on something as small as _breaking up with me_ – it was _killing me_. There's a huge difference. I'm not over-reacting. I'm not taking things too far. It was him. It was his fault, this entire fucked up time. Inuyasha can cry boo-hoo and claim that now he actually cares, but it doesn't mean anything. He didn't tell me. He didn't explain things to me until it was far too late to make a difference.

"Kagome, what's wrong?" Sango asked, her voice quiet. "Was the fight really that bad?"

Of course Sango got what I was thinking, she was my best friend. Her dark eyes were trying to search mine but I looked away, sitting up on the bed and pushing the duvet cover off of me. "Bad enough that he shouldn't be here."

I could tell how confused she was. I never told her anything that was going on. From the first moment that Sango met Inuyasha, I was defending the half-demon with my life. Now I wanted to kick him out, after saving his life _again_.

I was mad. I was hurt.

It didn't mean I wanted him dead.

It was irrational, because if push came to shove I'd have to do what I had to do. Then again, if it did come down to that, could I?

"What did he do?"

There was nothing I wanted to talk about less, so I shrugged. "He had…plans that involved me dead. So it didn't go over well, as you can imagine." Standing up, I realized I was only wearing my shirt and underwear. Grabbing my pants from the edge of the bed, I raised a brow at Sango.

"I thought you'd be more comfortable," Sango answered, and I relaxed that it was her and not… Well him. "So I don't really understand. Inuyasha–" I flashed her a look that clearly stated I didn't want to explain further, so Sango raised her hands in mock defence. "Look, whatever, but Inuyasha has been nothing but worried for you. I don't know exactly what happened and what you're telling me sounds…"

"Off?" I laughed, the bitter sensation making my stomach churn. "Yeah, I can see how you picked that up. Inuyasha's sorry, but I can't…" I stopped, bit my lip and rethought my words. "I won't let him back. There's so little I have to believe in. He was one of those things and in the end it turned out he was a bigger lie than the rest of my messed up life. Now, what happened with the other slayers? Did they leave?"

Sango nodded, letting the conversation switch over despite the gleam of curiosity in her eyes. "Miroku and I are going to have to shut down. After you protected a demon and I protected you… Well it doesn't look good. I'm surprised no one's tried to blow us up yet."

"Do you think they will?" I asked, running my hands through my hair.

Shrugging, Sango leaned against the doorway while I finished getting ready. "I don't think so, not after what they saw. Most of them are scared."

I paused, frowning. Were they scared that we were demon worshippers, because if that was the case, they'd surely destroy the place. Astaroth only had them contained for threat of death, and the demise of Sango and Miroku. He wasn't even here anymore. "What the hell scared them?"

"You." Sango stared at me, hard and unflinching. "You glowed pink Kagome, protecting a half-demon. You _shot out _a ball of energy that shattered a bullet without blinking an eye. No one's seen that before. Hell, I haven't seen that before." She crossed her arms, and I could tell from the way she shifted her stance that she was preparing to defend herself. "I know it's been a while, and obviously a lot has gone on but… You need to talk."

I nodded, ignoring the wave of unease. "Later tonight, please? I have to deal with Inuyasha first."

"And since you brought that up, that was the other thing."

"The other thing for what?" I asked. There seemed to be too much that was out of my grasp, and it wasn't comforting. Not with everything that was going on.

"Bankotsu tried to purify Inuyasha, but he couldn't," Sango explained. "Which is fine, I think I get that it's because he's a half-demon, right? Well that freaked them out more, especially when you started to go terminator on their asses."

"I'm the only one that can purify him I think," I murmured, nodding at her to leave. "It's something about being Chosen, I don't know. I'll…think about it and try to explain later." There would be way too much to explain.

Sango took this in stride, following me out of the bedroom and down the hallway. I walked towards the kitchen, when my friend shook her head and dragged me to the living room. There was the background noise of a television on and when I stepped into the doorway instantly Inuyasha was looking at me, golden eyes wide.

The half-demon stood up, taking one step before stopping and putting his clawed hands in his jean pockets. "You're awake," he said, quietly.

"Just now," I replied, looking over to the couch where Miroku was twisting rather oddly to catch sight of me. His blue eyes seemed tired but there was a smile on his face. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I woke out of a coma," Miroku said, his smile growing wider. "Not that I actually know what that feels like, but I can guess."

"I'm glad you're okay." Smiling at him, I lingered before turning my attention to Inuyasha, who stood there tense. I gestured with my head out of the room, making sure that my expression didn't give anything way. Not the fact that I was torn – happy and sad and angry and relieved. The stupid son of a bitch left things far too complicated in my mind, and there was only one way to push it out, to let it stay on the back burner to fry. "Come on."

Inuyasha didn't look pleased, his golden eyes shifting from me to Sango, but I knew my best friend wouldn't give anything away either. She would pick my side no matter what happened, even if I was wrong. She didn't have all the details yet, so Sango merely went over to Miroku's side, putting her hand on his shoulder. The half-demon sighed and followed me, a determined gleam in his eyes.

I had to ignore that too.

We walked back down the hallway, stepping into a clean room that hadn't been used in a while. I stopped short when Inuyasha shut the door behind us, making me realize that entering a bedroom probably wasn't the best decision I had ever made. I just loved to make things harder on myself. Clenching my jaw, I took a moment to relax, to not snap at Inuyasha like I wanted to. I had to do something because this…this feeling I got every time he was near could undoubtedly break me and I wouldn't let that happen.

"How do you feel?" Inuyasha asked, his voice rough and soft and far too familiar for my liking.

I turned to face him, forcing myself to look into his eyes. If I was going to do this, I had to do it the only way that would get through to him. "I'm fine, and I appreciate that you stayed to help Sango but you have to leave."

Inuyasha smirked, leaning against the doorway and crossing his arms. If I didn't know better, I'd say he was acting cocky. The problem was I did, and I could see through the cracks, see the barely-there calm that he had to force himself to keep in place. "Right, it's not like I didn't see that coming." He chuckled, so bitterly it felt like a physical blow. "I guess it still doesn't matter what I told you, or the fact that I saved you–"

"I didn't ask you to save me," I interrupted harshly, making my voice as hard as steel, my eyes as cold as possible. It didn't matter that my heartbeat was erratic, that my chest was so tight it felt like I couldn't breathe. My eyes burned with tears I refused to show, so I turned to the side, staring at the wall. "I didn't ask you to follow me, like you have been doing."

"Do you know how fucking _dead _you'd be if I hadn't been there?" Inuyasha yelled, finally breaking his cool. "Everyone knows, all the demons know that _you're _broken down and vulnerable. I saved your drunk ass far too many times for comfort. I don't think I can leave you on your own, not when you're acting like a spoiled child that couldn't get exactly what she wanted–"

"And what did I want?" I screamed, whipping my arms out. "What could I possibly want that I could get from you?" It hurt to say and the lie was obvious. Inuyasha knew and I knew. But I couldn't stop now, couldn't let myself break down and let in the one guy that could ruin me for good. "It's not like I gave you everything, told you all my secrets or anything! It's not like I allowed you to get closer than any other person! And what did you give me for all my wanting? You gave me a fucking _death sentence_." The words sounded ominous in the bedroom, the two of us standing off from opposite ends.

"I told you that was the plan _before_ Kagome," Inuyasha insisted. He opened his mouth to say more, slamming it shut moments after.

"Convenient that you didn't tell me until after the fact," I snarled. "What, did you want to keep your options open, just in case you changed your mind?"

"That's not it."

"Then what _was _Inuyasha?" I screamed. My throat hurt, it felt like it was closing with every word I let out. "What was your reason for not telling me?"

Inuyasha waved his hands around, his mouth open like he was about to spew something just as equally harsh when…nothing came out. He stood there, animated beyond control but unable to tell me whatever truth he had to give. When he finally gave up, Inuyasha stopped. His clawed hand covered his face, head tilted down so that the silver roots of his hair could show.

"If you don't know then how can I?" I whispered. It was even more painful than I could have imagined, having this discussion or fight or whatever this was. Inuyasha not knowing was like a blow to the chest that left my ribs broken, my lungs punctured and my heart bleeding out. "I need you to leave."

Inuyasha didn't say anything. The seconds ticked by like minutes and all I could hear was my heart beating away in my chest, a pounding in my head that seemed engrained. Finally he lifted his head, face carefully blank. "Why did Astaroth bring me then?"

"What?" Out of everything that he could've asked or demanded from me, I wasn't expecting that.

"Why did Astaroth snap me into the room?" he asked again. "There has to be a reason for it, the duke of Hell wouldn't have wasted the time or energy if there hadn't. And I saw Aamon; he was there for a split second before they disappeared. What did Astaroth see that needed me there?"

"_Without him, she's dead."_

_Astaroth raised an eyebrow, curiosity in his expression. "All of them?"_

"_Every single one where the half-demon isn't in the picture, she dies."_

I kept my eyes trained on him, no matter how much I wanted to look away. It took all of my skill as a sort of actor to do this, to keep a straight face and answer. "I don't know."

Inuyasha smirked crookedly. "Bullshit."

"I don't know," I hissed, crossing my arms and standing straighter. "You want to know, you go ask him. Just leave me the fuck alone."

Nodding tightly, Inuyasha turned around. He grabbed the doorknob, twisting it in his hand before pausing. "I can't always be there to save you," he whispered softly.

"I don't want you to," I replied, just as quietly.

When the half-demon left the room, the door slamming in his wake, I ran to the door and pressed my forehead to the old wood. He had been right here, right here.

I told him to go. I had to make him leave.

I couldn't let him hurt me anymore than he already had.

Slowly I turned and sank down to the floor, curling my knees to my chest and burying my face in the warmth of old cotton and the embrace of my own arms. I let the seconds tick by, the minutes pass away before I finally, finally let the tears fall.

* * *

**_Comments to Acknowledge:_**

_Gamehead64: _True. I think? Haha. Thank you!

_NurNur: _The chapter titles are fun sometimes :) This one was based on a song, that has nothing to do with the story, but that one line worked! I hope you enjoyed this love!

_Wolfy the Snowy Wolf:_ Yup. Right here!

* * *

_I cried writing this, if that helps you any. This story has me heavily invested._

_Feedback is love :)_


	30. Come to Pass

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty: Come to Pass**

* * *

"_You picked me up, breathed new life in me. I owe my life to you but for the life of me I don't see why you don't see like I do. But it just dawned on me, you lost a son. See this light in you, it's dark. Let me turn on the lights and brighten me and enlighten you. I don't think you realize what you mean to me, not the slightest clue. 'Cause me and you, we're like a crew. I was like your sidekick. You gon' either want to fight me when I get off this fucking mic or you gon' hug me but I'm out of options. There's nothing else I can do."_

_-I Need a Doctor, Dr. Dre ft. Eminem and Skylar Grey_

* * *

As you can imagine, I had a lot of explaining to do. The next day was filled with packing and planning, as Miroku and Sango had to move out of state and I had to help them. It was the least I could do since it had been my influence on Astaroth that made him do this to my friends. If it was the last thing I ever did, I would make sure that the duke of Hell suffered miserably.

We couldn't take everything – we only had their two trucks and my Corvette – but we managed their clothes and their most prized belongings before saying goodbye to the place I had called home for a long time. There was a safe house not five hours away, and given Miroku's condition we didn't want to travel any further. Kirara drove the additional truck, since Sango threatened Miroku with no sex if he dared to try and make the trip. The bartender was more than willing – she didn't have any place to really go since Boomerang's had been her home too.

"I can't believe we managed to pack all of this," I muttered under my breath, staring at my overflowing car when we were finally there. Clothing bags and the odd tiny suitcase was wedged in there, but my stuff was still buried in the back. My life was in this car, so fitting anything in was a miracle.

Sango rolled her eyes, obviously having heard me. "Well it doesn't help that Inuyasha's stuff is still in there."

I paused, letting the information set in. Of course his stuff was in there – I hadn't moved it out – and yet, I couldn't figure out why I hadn't gleefully burned his crap in the first place. I didn't want to see him again and his stuff – the duffel bag, the clothes, the suits for when we acted the parts – was just a reminder and a reason for him to come back.

"You know, I'd ask why you sent him away but I know you," Sango said bluntly, removing a suitcase with a small grunt. "You're a masochist, always looking for trouble. It's the reason Miroku and I were so angry when we first met the half-demon. It's the reason we always want you to come back to see us as often as you can. You hurt yourself Kagome, and you look for it too." Her magenta eyes fixated on me, as if she was trying to get a read on something I had yet to slip out. "It's like you punish yourself continually for being the person you are."

I could only watch as she picked up the suitcase and another bag of clothing, turning away and taking the stuff into the safe house. I wanted to disagree with her, to tell her that she had everything wrong. Certainly I didn't punish myself.

Yeah, I hated my life. Yeah, I wasn't exactly the happiest woman to walk the earth. I hated Heaven and Hell, Naraku and the demons and even the fucking angels. But looking for trouble and pain?

_Why did you let Inuyasha join in the first place?_

To stop the loneliness, to _be _something other than…

I clenched my jaw, not finishing the thought because it only made things worse. I got what I could and moved my way inside. The bags were heavy in my hands, and I gratefully dropped them the moment I stepped inside.

Kirara was smiling at me, picking up what I had left. "It's good of you to help," she said quietly, her striking blue eyes cast downwards. "I'm not entirely sure what happened back in Maine but…I know you'll do everything you can."

I nodded, because what else could I say to the woman? She had been there when Astaroth struck but was forced to the sidelines as the other demon slayers took over. I went back to the car to get more stuff, removing everything I could possibly see until all I saw was…_our stuff_.

Fuck.

I slammed the trunk shut, wondering now more than ever why I hadn't gotten rid of his things. I would do it soon, maybe tonight, maybe tomorrow.

But soon.

* * *

Explaining what had happened between Inuyasha and I in the earliest part of the month wasn't the easiest thing I had ever done.

"So let me get this straight… We were _there _and you kissed him?" Miroku was grinning. Of course he was grinning. "Kagome, I didn't think you had it in you."

"It wasn't like _that_," I shot back, getting more and more frustrated as the time ticked on. We were sitting at the kitchen table – me, Sango, Miroku and Kirara – and I was desperately trying to tell them why things were the way they were. "He was hurt and yeah, we kind of kissed. But it wasn't a big deal."

"Apparently it became a big deal though," Sango added in, raising a brow. "So, you kiss. Fine. What happens next?"

"Nothing!" I wish I had never started telling them this in the first place. I should've left out the how-we-got-together details and went straight to the fact that we _had_. But Miroku and Sango were looking at me sceptically, and even Kirara who hadn't said much was smiling. I was utterly doomed. "Not until the next day and even then… Look, it was later that night. But there's more to the story! The next day we went to Onigumo's parents' house. Remember we planned on going there? So we went, and Inuyasha managed to steal a journal of his. There was some really dark stuff in there, quite a bit of it ritualistic and demonic. There was a ritual in there that explained how a human could absorb the bodies of demons in order to become partially demon himself. It was called Naraku in the book, and we learned later on that that's what he goes by now. Then Astaroth appeared, and we told him what we found out."

"But when does the kissing come in?"

I glared and Miroku started laughing uncontrollably. At least Sango was getting partially annoyed now, if the roll of her eyes meant anything. "Later that night, when we came back we kissed again. That was it." It wasn't it. That was the biggest lie of all time, but the three of them certainly didn't need to know the details of that. I hurriedly moved on. "So then a week later Astaroth appears again, telling us that he's found Naraku's location, and that he's in Wisconsin. He needs to consume 1000 demons to become a full demon and to have the ritual complete, and so far we think he's had made 900."

"You trusted Astaroth," Sango said, tilting her head. "Why the hell would you do that?"

"He was more helpful than the angel," I pointed out, putting my head in my hands. "He came after you for a reason that only had to do with me. But that's _later on_, so will you let me explain? It took us two days before we reached Naraku and there was a huge fight… In the middle of it I learn that Inuyasha's fought Naraku before, with another demon slayer."

"Who?" Kirara asked, finally speaking for the first time.

"Her name was Kikyo Hidaka. She was the Chosen one before I was. Naraku killed her and when that happened, I was instantly her new backup. That's when I took over her spot." I sighed, feeling a headache coming on. "The thing is that Naraku also let me in on Inuyasha's secret. The reason he's after Naraku is because he's after the Shikon no Tama, the jewel that lures the demons in. Inuyasha wants to use it to become a full demon. His plan all along was to have me retrieve the jewel, since I'm the only one that can touch it and purify it, and when that's done he was going to kill me so he could have it for himself. Kikyo died before he had the chance to do it to her."

"And you trusted Naraku over Inuyasha?" Miroku asked. "Why do you trust all these demons?"

"It's not about _trusting _anyone," I exclaimed, feeling worse and worse with each moment. "Inuyasha told me himself, okay? He was planning on killing me _all along_. You were right." I didn't want to hear their excuses or ideas, because right now I just didn't want to have it. I rushed through the rest of the story, how I ran and for a week and a half I was an utter mess. I blurted out the incident with the dream, how Inuyasha had saved me and then left me and how Astaroth returned me home before yelling at me to kill Naraku. I explained how I didn't do it anyways, how I went searched for other demons and the duke of Hell obviously had enough. That was when I came back, when I got the fake phone call and rushed to Boomerang's.

By the end of it I was drained, and far too tired to say anything more. Miroku seemed to get it, and Sango and Kirara looked utterly pained by what I said.

"Come on," Sango said, getting up slowly from her chair and tugging my sleeve. "Let's go to bed."

I groaned. "I'm not a kid. I know how to tuck myself in Sango."

My best friend just smiled at me tiredly, pulling me along anyways. It seemed that no matter what I did, I wasn't going to win anything anytime soon.

No one seemed to really understand the concept of leaving. I, apparently, knew it all too well.

"What do you mean you're going?" Sango demanded, her magenta coloured eyes full of confusion and worry. I knew this look on her, knew what was running through her mind. She was hurt but also a little lost. It had been only three days since we moved them into the safe house. Kirara was living with them for now, searching for another apartment that wasn't too far. They were okay now, I could tell. Miroku was finally walking around now without problem, joking around and grabbing Sango's ass. Sango was far more relaxed than she had been.

It was time for me to go.

"Because there's another case," I replied, getting straight to the point even if it was only a partial truth. There was a case, but I would've left whether there was one or not. "It's not too far from here, only four hours. I could get there, grab a room and rest to start fresh in the morning."

"It's nine at night," Sango cut in, crossing her arms. "Why would you leave now? Why don't you just…stay another night?"

"You know I can't do it," I whispered quietly, not looking her in the eye, ignoring the hurt that was in there. Sango and Miroku could never fathom why I couldn't stay in one place long enough. It wasn't too hard to figure out, not when you took into account the only places I ever called home were ripped to shreds. My family home for one, Boomerang's for another. Pretty soon it would be the people I cared about that fell one by one next. "I've been back, okay? I promise I'll be back soon."

Sango's lips tightened but she nodded. "Alright, yeah, okay. Have you said goodbye to Miroku and Kirara yet?"

"No, I was going to right now. You were the first." Finally I looked at her, trying for a smile and ignoring how forced it felt. I could see the concern in her eyes, the look that never seemed to leave. No matter what I did, Miroku and Sango never seemed completely satisfied with me.

Miroku was still in the kitchen with Kirara, drying whatever cleaned dishes she gave him. He was grinning at her, his face finally an appropriate, normal shade. Miroku's blue eyes turned to see me the moment I entered, the easy smile falling off.

He wasn't stupid. He knew what was happening.

Whether it was a look Sango gave him from behind, or the fact that he knew I'd leave anyways, Miroku opened his arms and came forward in a hug. He kissed the top of my head, whispering his thanks in my ear. "Also, you take care of yourself. Call for once, will you?"

"Yeah," I replied, never making any promises because I rarely stuck to them. "Yeah okay."

Kirara seemed a little confused but smiled anyways, giving me a big hug and wishing me luck.

My stuff was already packed, so all I had to do was whisper more goodbyes and finally leave. The Corvette was a comfort to me, the leather seat imprinted to my shape by now. The familiar start of the engine had me smiling a little, enough so that I looked out to see my three friends waiting for me, watching me go.

Leaving was always hard, I knew. But not leaving would only make things harder.

The sun had just set moments ago, making the sky's vast arrangement of colours deep and grey. I waved at Sango, Miroku and Kirara, giving them one last glance before hitting the gas and going…going…gone.

I could feel the relieve like it was a physical thing, something that lifted off of my shoulders the moment I could no longer see the safe house in my rear view mirror. The further I was away, the least likely chance that anything terrible could happen to them. And as untrue and deceiving as that was, I couldn't help but think that way.

I continued to drive, letting the steady yellow lines guide my way as I headed onwards. It was dark now, my headlights the only thing giving any vision. I was taking a back road, the trees almost ominous as I drove past them, shadows dancing as my lights flickered on.

"_And who do you think you are, running 'round leaving scars? Collecting your jar of hearts and tearing love apart…_" So maybe I was singing, with the radio blasting as I left everything behind. I could forget my worries, at least for a little while. "You're going to catch a cold, from the ice inside your soul. So don't come back for me, don't come back at all…" Funny how well this matched my entire fucking life.

I closed my eyes as I sang a particularly high note that I definitely didn't reach but didn't give a crap about anyways. I was alone on a deserted road at midnight. I opened my eyes.

And then there was white.

A woman was suddenly there, directly in the path of my car. There was no time, no way to slam the breaks and stop fast enough. The woman in the dress was a blur, closer and closer until I swerved violently. The next thing I saw was darkness as my car fishtailed into a ditch, precariously starting to tip onto its side.

My hands clutched the steering wheel, head pressed against the rest as I slammed down on the gas, trying to gain some traction. For one split second I felt it give, the Corvette surging forwards, about to land back on its tires…

Everything went black.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

He couldn't believe it.

The fact that he was here said things about himself that he'd rather not get into. He was, after all, still following her.

Inuyasha wasn't supposed to be.

After the first incident at the warehouse, he told himself it wouldn't happen. Kagome could take care of herself and if she wasn't doing a good job of it – well – tough shit. Inuyasha stopped following her every move and managed to limit his stalking until the sun went down.

When Astaroth beamed him inside of Boomerang's, Inuyasha hadn't actually been there. He hadn't been able to find her. All of a sudden Kagome had been gone from her location and he had to track her down. He had figured out after a while where Kagome was headed but as soon as the thought crossed his mind, Inuyasha was suddenly…_there_. And Astaroth was there. And demon slayers were coning at him but Kagome… _She protected him_. Against her own kind – other demon slayers – she still made sure he was okay.

It was another reason why her constant demands for him to leave were just…getting to be too much. Too hard. Yeah, he fucked up. He got that perfectly well the first time. But she wouldn't budge on this and he had a secret reason to believe that there was something going on behind the scenes, something that he didn't know.

Something that kept her from letting him come back.

Or it was her pride. Hell fucking knew how badly he ripped apart hers.

But now, right now he was almost unable to move. He was sitting in a nearby tree, the dark night quiet with not even the rustle of a breeze. It happened so fast he didn't even have time to blink. Suddenly there was a woman – no, not a woman, he could tell – and she was in the middle of the road.

And Kagome's car was heading right for it.

The white dress billowed with the air caused by the swerving vehicle, as it missed by only a few inches. Inuyasha jumped down from his crouch, watching as the Corvette landed with its left side wheels in the ditch, the rest of it tipping vicariously on the edge. He ran. He had to get there.

"Stop."

Like a bolt of lightning, so sure and deadly, he was frozen to his spot, his body pulsing as she slowly crumpled to the ground. The asphalt was hard on his knees, and Inuyasha had this swirling sensation that this was a lot worse than horribly wrong. His hands clenched, scraping against the hard road and he buckled a little. His golden eyes looked up, up to see the woman in white who surely wasn't human at all.

No. She was an angel.

Inuyasha tried to speak, to say something, anything. _Why_ was on the tip of his tongue, but he didn't have the energy, his body sinking to the ground bit by bit. He could stare still, could watch as the angel looked away from him with dark eyes and turned to face Kagome's vehicle. He could hear the gunning of the engine, the sound of tires trying to get some ground.

The angel rose her right hand, palm facing the sky and then, with the flick of her wrist, Kagome's car screeched, the body of the car rolling deeper into the ditch, flipping. Inuyasha couldn't see it, he could only hear the sounds it made, the crunching of metal too loud in the silent night.

Inuyasha could keep his head up anymore. It hurt too much, his body was too tired. There was a noise at the back of his throat – a growl, a whine, he couldn't tell – but his forehead was pressed against the asphalt and he couldn't stop it.

"It has to happen, as there is no other way," the angel whispered. "There's one fate and this shall go forth until the end."

He couldn't make sense of it – the words, why this was happening, anything.

It felt like an eternity of being stuck, pressed against the asphalt with no will or energy to move. There was no warning, no hint of freedom until everything suddenly passed. Like a weight was being lifted Inuyasha could move, his body no longer forced down by an invisible pressure. He rolled over, sitting up and blinking. His head felt a little fuzzy still but the realization was forced to the back of his mind when he heard a popping sound – the noise of the Corvette.

Inuyasha sprung up, rushing towards the ditch and hesitating the moment he saw the yellow vehicle upside down, absolutely no movement coming from inside. It was automatic that he ran to the driver's side, using his strength to bend the already mangled frame and reach in. He dragged her out, trying to be careful but knowing there was little he could do. There was blood on her face, superficial scratches along her neck and arms. Inuyasha pulled her close, checking for a pulse and breathing a sigh of relief when her heartbeat was there, just as strong but a bit slower.

He had to take her to the hospital. There could be internal injuries, bleeding that he didn't know about. He stared at the Corvette, all broken with cracked glass and bended frame. He carefully put Kagome down, letting her rest on the dirty grass before turning his attention back to the car. Her entire life was in there, and surely someone would come by and notice it, call the cops and then…

Well Inuyasha couldn't let that happen.

It took him precious minutes, but in the end he thought that Kagome would at the very least appreciate the effort. Why he even considered the fact she'd talk to him was beyond his thinking, but Inuyasha had to rely on the idea that eventually she'd give in. Eventually things would come to pass.

He had to believe that.

When the car was hidden in the growth on the side of the road, the trees and shrubs mostly concealing the yellow paint, Inuyasha scooped up the woman into his arms and ran.

Inuyasha had never run so fast in his life.

The nearest hospital wasn't all that near, and Kagome didn't wake up through any part of the ride. The moment he stepped into the emergency doors, sweating just a little at his temples, he yelled for help and let the nurses do their job. It was hard to let her go, even though he knew he had to.

The waiting room was full of smells and tension, people anxious as they sat around hoping for a bit of news. Inuyasha sat there for all of ten minutes, finally getting tired of it. There were a few people staring at him, and Inuyasha knew there was probably a reason to. His hair was a fair part silver than it was before and his eyes weren't exactly _normal_.

When it looked like one of the children were about to come up and ask a question, Inuyasha abruptly stood up and left, making his way outside for a breather. He had only been in a hospital once, before with Kikyo. It hadn't been the same, not this sort of situation. Kikyo had looked him in the eyes and told him she had to go to the hospital. They had been fighting a group of demons – a nasty bunch of them – when her arm was nearly ripped off. It was broken, the bone nearly protruding, and Inuyasha had followed her when they went to the hospital and she got assistance.

But this time Kagome hadn't told him. She hadn't asked for help, or his help. She had been unconscious and Inuyasha reacted automatically.

He wondered if Kagome would ever ask him for help again.

"You look every inch of the pathetic puppy that you are."

Inuyasha groaned, not turning around at the voice. He knew perfectly well who it was. "Why are you _here_?"

"Checking up on you, of course," Kagura purred, her voice as smooth as silk. "You promised me something and as I look at you now, I'm not sure I should've given you that second chance."

"Oh go fuck yourself," Inuyasha spat, walking towards the hospital wall and leaning against the brick. There were a few people outside smoking, standing at a corner with murmured voices. None of them were paying any attention. Then again, Kagura wasn't really a suspicious looking demon with the exception of her ruby red eyes. "Look, she's hurt okay? It'll be fine."

"Yeah, I've heard that before." Kagura grinned, the amusement bitterly removed. "Naraku's getting closer and you're taking your sweet fucking time, you know that?"

"She's a stubborn bitch," Inuyasha replied, rolling his eyes. "I kind of messed up when the whole _killing her _thing."

Kagura nodded. "You are a selfish bastard, I agree. You were even going to ignore our past deal, just to get what you want. I'm warning you now Inuyasha, within the next couple of months it'll be over. Naraku is gathering demons faster than ever now. The Shikon no Tama is getting more tainted with each consumption. Pretty soon I think your little princess isn't going to cut it."

"We'll kill Naraku," Inuyasha reiterated, keeping his voice low and firm. "I just need to get her back."

Laughing, the wind demon shook her head. "Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts, especially since there's news travelling down the grapevine. You're getting to be pretty worthy of gossip and there are suggestions that… Well, maybe you should find out for yourself."

"Just tell me," Inuyasha demanded, glaring. "Keeping me in the dark will only make things worse for you."

There was a flash of white teeth, a tiny chuckle before Kagura was taking small steps backwards. "In this case, I think I rather keep my mouth shut. He's coming, you know."

Inuyasha paused, piecing it together. "Who?"

The woman shrugged. "Oh you know, don't play dumb." Kagura grinned. "It'll be worth waiting for though, I assure you."

There was a gust of wind, strong enough to have the smokers in the corner gasping. Inuyasha stood there firmly, keeping is eyes locked at the wind demon disappeared before his eyes.

Stupid fucking bitch. Yeah, he knew exactly who she was talking about.

And if his half-brother dared to show his face, Inuyasha would make sure it was removed from the rest of his body.

* * *

**Feedback is love!**


	31. Fool Me Once

_**Author's Note: **I apologize for how long this took me. I'm busier than I thought I'd be, which is horrifying. Also, I skimmed through this afterwards but there are still probably quite a few errors. I apologize for that too in advance. I just really wanted to get this chapter out for you guys! Finally, it's just a coincidence that my stories have similar character introduction times between my stories. I planned each one separately (this was made in 2009 people) so it's not a lack of creativity._

**_Disclaimer: _**_I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story._

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-One: Fool Me Once**

* * *

"_So run with the eyes of a devil, and keep them in your dreams. If you succumb to the lies of the rebel, you'll cleanse yourself of me."_

_-Eyes of the Devil, Seether_

* * *

Waking up in a hospital wasn't always like they explained it in the movies or books. Sometimes it's not a slow progression, a groggy start that eventually unfolds from confusion to careful understanding. I myself never wake up that way, probably because hospitals equalled very bad disasters.

My eyes flew open, surveying the room and nearly jumping when a nurse burst inside. She wasn't even fully paying attention, her nose in a clipboard until she looked up and saw me.

"You're awake," the nurse said cheerfully, coming over to my side and checking a few things. "Do you need some water?"

I nodded, processing. How much did I remember? Where was I last? I could recall leaving Boomerang's late at night. I was singing in the car, nothing was wrong– A woman in white was standing in the road. I blinked, trying to pull up the face.

"Excuse me, Miss? Are you alright?" The woman looked alarmed, her hand touching my arm and shaking it slightly.

"Fine," I murmured, keeping my eyes focused on the sheets of the hospital bed. "Water would be great, thank you." I had to remember. I had to think. I went back to that moment, that one split second where I saw her and instantly swerved. Just as my hands clenched the wheel, the Corvette trying to keep stable I caught a glance of her, a side profile…

It looked like–

"Here," the nurse said, still frowning. "I'm going to get the doctor for you, alright? Are you sure you're feeling fine? Any nausea or headaches? What's your name?"

"I feel like I got in an accident," I replied, finally managing to look at the nurse. She was older, probably in her late fifties with blonde hair that was made lighter with dabs of grey. "I'm okay, thank you." I purposely didn't answer her question. The less she knew, the better, at least until I managed to disappear.

The nurse didn't look remotely satisfied but she left for the doctor anyways. The problem was that I couldn't wait for her to return. Despite the fact it would be great to figure out what was wrong with me, I couldn't risk the push for information. They would want to know who I was, where I was going, who I knew.

And oh god, the Corvette. What happened to it? Who even found me? Surely if they found me, they would have searched the car and found the weapons. I didn't see any police presence, but that didn't mean they were here necessarily. If I had been asleep for a while, they'd probably just be checking in.

I looked down at my wrists, half expecting handcuffs but relaxing incrementally when there were none. It was time to escape, before I got caught. My clothes were in a cupboard at the other side of the room, and it was as I tried to get them that I could feel some of my possible injuries. My left shoulder hurt like hell – maybe it had been dislocated. My left thumb was in a splint too, now that I actually looked. It was probably broken from the impact of the air bag.

Great. Really fucking great.

There was a small basket with a few of my belongings, which I either changed into or slid into pockets. Slipping out was almost natural to me as I grabbed a small plant inside the room – where it came from I had no idea – and started to walk out with it. At least my legs were fine.

Then of course, I hit a solid body.

"So you _are _awake," Inuyasha said, and really, I shouldn't be so surprised that he was here. It didn't stop the nervous butterflies in my stomach though, or the way it twisted up and made my head pound.

"What are you doing here? How did you even find me?"

The half-demon merely raised a brow. Instead of answering he grabbed my wrist, tossing the potted plant away and all but dragging me down the hall. I opened my mouth to protest when I realized my plan was to escape, not create a scene. It wasn't until we were in the downstairs lobby and headed towards the doors that he spoke. "You swerved your car after almost hitting an angel–"

"Midoriko," I added in, feeling my jaw clench. "Yeah, I remember that."

Inuyasha nodded. "I saw it happen and came to get you. The Corvette is hidden though, or it was last time I checked. I covered it in the forest."

The moment we stepped outside I stopped, waiting for the half-demon to realize and do the same. He looked at me with those familiar golden eyes, the roots of his silver hair sticking out just the slightest. "You did that? You're the one that found me and brought me here? You…hid my car?"

Inuyasha looked at me as if I was crazy. "Well yeah. You bumped your head pretty hard though, are you sure you don't want to stay? You have these cuts on your face and there's the risk of internal bleeding and–"

I rolled my eyes, brushing past him as I headed towards the parking lot. "How the hell am I going to explain my ID, I'm supposed to be dead, remember? How will I explain where I was? What happened? It's not like I can actually tell them my guardian angel tried to kill me. And really, doesn't that seem a little ironic?"

"It's not ironic if you understand it," Inuyasha replied, instantly catching up with a curious glance. "Are you sure it's Mi…whatever-the-hell her name is?"

I nodded. "I'm pretty sure. It looked like her. I just don't…" I bit my lip, trying to piece together the whole mess. "Are the angels now out to kill me too? What _happened_?"

"You think I'm the person to ask?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me. "Where the hell do you think you're headed anyways?"

For the second time I stopped, only this time it wasn't intentional. I really was walking nowhere, because the Corvette was still where the accident occurred and I had no means of getting to it. Hell, I could hardly remember the location. The road had been long and it had been dark… I looked at Inuyasha, who watched me with a curious gaze. He had come for me, _again_. He had saved me, _again_.

As much as I didn't trust him, and as much as I still couldn't forgive him, I had to let him have this one. "Why did you follow me still, even after I told you not to?"

The half-demon kept his mouth firmly closed, stubborn and ready to fight if the tension in his muscles said anything.

I tried again. "Inuyasha, why keep staying around me when I told you that…" I trailed off, because certainly he knew. I forced myself to remain on topic. "You stayed."

"I did." Inuyasha nodded, his bangs shielding his eyes for the briefest of moments.

"Why?" I already knew the answer, and I knew that hearing it would only make this entire situation harder. Obviously I was some sort of masochist, if the way I didn't back down meant anything. Again this could only go back to the fact that my life was as far as from normal as it could get. Having conversations with a half-demon about our possible romantic situation when I was the Chosen One from Heaven… It sounded like a bad Harlequin romance.

The golden-eyed half-demon sighed. "I told you I still cared. You didn't listen."

"Oh, I heard. I didn't care though." I looked past the hurt in his eyes, only because what I did in the past could be justified. "I'm surprised you still do."

"Surprised doesn't even cover it for me," Inuyasha mumbled, giving a bitter laugh at the end. He sobered up though, taking a step closer and looking down at me. "Are you going to stop fighting?"

It was a question that had so many meanings and so many different answers. I couldn't imagine trying to explain them all, so I went with the one that had my gut humming, my stomach all twisted in knots. "I can't make promises," I whispered, trying not to react when his nose brushed along my forehead.

Inuyasha nodded. "Yeah, okay." There was a moment there, sitting between us like fog on a warm summer's night. I could tell from the sounds of outside and the sun that it was late afternoon, probably closer to rush hour and dinner. At least it wasn't night time yet, only because now I couldn't have the excuse to get a room before getting to the car.

I wasn't going to be naïve again, or so stupid.

"You ready to go?" Inuyasha asked, still staying close, still just inches away from breathing the same air.

I wanted to nod but instead whispered out a 'yes,' hoping it didn't sound as strangled as it did in my head. When I felt his warm hands wrap around my waist, biting my lower lip was all I could do to stop myself from touching him back, from never letting him go again. Because fuck it I missed him, even if I wanted him gone as much as I wanted him to stay.

"You'll have to hold on to something," the half-demon said quietly, letting go of me to grab my hands and place them just around his neck. "Close your eyes."

I didn't want to. It would leave me vulnerable, open and I couldn't be that person with him, not anymore.

I closed them anyways and within seconds, we took off.

* * *

This entire situation was so fucked up, I was beyond words. I stared at my beautiful car – my once beautiful, but now horribly broken car – and wanted to cry. Because this? It just wasn't fair.

Inuyasha was somewhere behind me, silent as ever. We had gotten here in a little under half an hour, having trouble finding the exact location of the accident. When the half-demon said he hid it in the forest, he _meant_ it. The yellow paint was nearly impossible to find. "What are w– you going to do?"

I bit my lower lip, hearing the catch in his sentence, knowing exactly what he was planning on saying originally. _What are we going to do?_ But there wasn't a _we_, not now anyways. Maybe there could've been, but not now. "I know someone," I murmured, closing my eyes and rubbing at the bridge of my nose. That someone was a good state over, last time I had heard anyways. My best bet would be to call him – if he picked up. "We need to get our stuff out of there," I said a second later, trying to be logical, to think this through. "Everything has to be cleared, the weapons, clothing, IDs, all of it. We'll hole up somewhere for a few days, hopefully until the guy comes and fixes my damn car."

"What about the angels?" Inuyasha asked, his voice rough. "Are you sure it was…whatever her name was?"

"Midoriko, yes," I replied. The half-demon had never met her, since she had always put him to sleep or into some sort of temporary comatose state. The fact that Inuyasha had seen her and she hadn't forced him into unconsciousness said something else about the situation, something nagging at the back of my brain. I'd figure it out later, maybe with a glass of cheap alcohol and a really bad horror movie. "And I'm not going to do anything now, okay? I have…" I sighed. "I have a shitload to do."

Inuyasha nodded, finally stepping beside me and leaning against a small tree trunk to the side. The Corvette was maybe two feet away from us, buried under bushes that Inuyasha had thrown on top. I tried not to imagine all the paint damage, although it was probably heavily destroyed in the car wreck. "What if they come after you again? You think you can handle them? Last time I checked, you didn't have an angel radar too."

I clenched my jaw. I had to make a decision, now more than ever, even if it was only temporary. Inuyasha was right, or at least he partly was. I was in trouble and until I took the time to figure out why the hell Midoriko tried to off me, I'd need some sort of backup. Then again, Inuyasha had only proven relatively useless thus far against the heavenly being, if the way he snored afterwards said anything about it. "You don't exactly make a good watch dog when it comes to angels," I pointed out, just because.

Inuyasha rolled his golden eyes. "Wench, angels aren't the only things trying to kill you. Let's see: we have demons, the duke of Hell, the wolf demon, Kagura and Kanna, Naraku–"

"Kagura and Kanna?" I whipped around, frowning at him. "Who the hell are they?" I watched as his face shut down, a little more protective. It was a look of indecision, a guard set up around a prize. As much as I needed the help, I still couldn't trust the half-demon, not completely anyways.

"They were the ones that kidnapped you back in Canada," Inuyasha explained quietly. "I've known them for years."

"Because _that's_ really going to help with the trust exercises," I muttered, rolling my eyes. "Known them how?"

The half-demon growled, stomping up towards the Corvette, his foot maybe an inch away from a shattered slice of glass. "You know that demons are all connected, at a very superficial level if nothing else. It's how Astaroth knew; it's how the other demons we've faced said little things here or there. It's like a grapevine, only the knowledge is a little more embedded. We're not psychic or anything, it's just…linked somehow, like the spitting pit of fire and brimstone is also the magical bubble of knowledge and wisdom."

"Nice, that's lovely," I said, and I can assure you that the words would've been snapped had I not been so overwhelmed already. "So Kagura and Kanna–"

"They were there, a long time ago when I travelled with Kikyo," Inuyasha explained, still not looking at me. "The two of them were gone more often than not, but they have information most don't know about and I needed it."

I nodded. "To get to the jewel, to become a full demon."

Inuyasha didn't respond.

"Alright then, I guess sharing time is over. Let's get our shit and go." My keys weren't on me, but the first beep had me realizing that Inuyasha held the remote. It took a matter of seconds to remove the clothing, but all the IDs and weapons were a lot harder. There were nooks and crannies in all the seats and it was best to give the vehicle a good search in case the wrong person happened to stumble along. When it was finally all finished, belongings crunched into a bag and thrown over our shoulders, I jumped onto Inuyasha's back and closed my eyes.

I guess it was easier than seeing where we were going, mostly because the wind was strong enough to have my hair whipping around me. Having my eyes open would probably only blind me, so I hung on tighter and waited for the cue that we were slowing down. It felt like forever, an eternity of clinging to a man I felt both comfortable and foreign with. It was the wind that let me know we were finally reaching a destination; not as strong, not stinging against my chilled skin. I was shivering by the time he stopped, the air cold now that winter was finally making its presence known.

"Here?" I asked, mostly for something to say. It was a motel off the highway, something probably cheap and distasteful but consisted of a roof and shower. "Where are we?"

"Vermont, I think," Inuyasha replied, staring up at the glowing neon sign screaming vacancy. "Or around there."

"That's a hell of a lot further than I thought we were." I tried to do the math in my head, but to be honest I wasn't even sure where I was when I crashed. "I'm going to get a room." _Or two_. I tried not say anything, coughing instead as I walked up towards the main office. The heat that blasted through when I opened the door was a warm welcome, my skin prickling from the sudden change in temperature.

There was a woman behind the desk, reading a paperback novel and looking extremely engrossed. When she noticed I was standing there she smiled broadly, putting it down. "Hi, what are you looking for?"

"Um," I started, having to physically restrain myself from turning around and looking at the half-demon waiting outside. "Two rooms, kings."

It was going to cost more, of course it was. But could we honestly be in the same room, and could I sleep knowing that last time we shared one he had been planning on eventually killing me?

Probably not.

The woman happily rang up the exchange, taking my fake card and giving me all the right slips to sign. When I finally got the keys I stepped out, tossing one Inuyasha's way and gesturing towards where our rooms were. "Yours is beside mine."

If the half-demon was going to say anything about the separate rooms, he didn't. Inuyasha barely flinched as his hands grabbed the flying keys, following me. "Salt the room."

"Of course I will," I retorted, rolling my eyes.

Inuyasha shrugged, stopping at his door and working at the lock. I watched, hesitating at my own but unable to get the key into the deadbolt. The half-demon didn't even spare a glance as he opened his door, hand flipping in what I could only assume was a wave before he disappeared inside.

So he wasn't happy, granted.

Then again, it wasn't like I enjoyed this messed up situation any better.

It took me almost a full bottle of wine later to finally get the courage to think things through. How I got the alcohol in the first place was a bit of a mystery, but it was already in the room – sealed and hiding under the bed. I question the people in here before me but…it was a good year. So I cracked it open.

In the long run, it probably would've been better if I hadn't. Holding the cup of holy water as I chanted the spell to summon an angel most definitely wasn't the smartest thing ever. My only solace was that I had all of my weapons hidden somewhere in the room, and _surely_ one of them could protect me from a potentially Chosen-One-killing angel.

Like it always did, there was a moment's hesitation, as if I had been doing the rain dance only to have the sun shine brighter. It was a flicker of light from the old lamp that had me tensing, stepping back towards the exit as I waited. I didn't have to for long.

"Kagome," Midoriko greeted, her soft smile frozen on her pale face. "I see you're okay."

I didn't need the bullshit chit-chat. "No thanks to you, since you're the one that put me there." I tried to see a reaction, but I should've known getting one from an angel would probably be impossible. "Why did you try to kill me?"

Tilting her head, Midoriko looked at the wall of my motel room, the one that separated Inuyasha and I. He didn't know I was doing this and hopefully wouldn't barge in to check on me. Inuyasha seemed pretty mad though, so I doubted it. "He's been listening to you," the angel said instead, turning her dark eyes back to me. "Although now he's peacefully sleeping."

"That's not answering my question," I snapped, fed up and a little irritated that she affected the half-demon like that. Inuyasha was just like I said before: useless against the angels. "Why did you try to kill me?"

Midoriko sighed, her whole white dress fluttering as if a breeze wafted in with her exhale. "You were never meant to die Kagome. That's not in the plan."

"The plan," I repeated, clenching my jaw. "Do you want to _tell me_ this plan, because all I've gotten so far is crap from the duke of Hell who, oh, tried to kill my friends! Where were you for that?"

"There are plans," the angel said once more, the smile still on her face. "You weren't meant to die and the half-demon was meant to watch. There is only one way we can win and you're straying from the enlightened path."

"It's funny you should say that," I murmured, rolling my eyes and sitting down on my king-sized bed. Midoriko clearly wasn't a threat – just stupid in a way only an angel could probably be. "Because I haven't been _enlightened_ on anything. I'm assuming this _path_ includes Inuyasha to stay by my side, to fight with me against Naraku?" The angel said nothing, merely tilting her head ever so slightly for me to continue. I took that as an affirmative. "Yet again, I learned that from the duke of Hell. Yet, he tried to kill my friends and you…you tried to kill me. Why does _killing _have to be the way I get back on track? Why couldn't you have just flown down and yelled 'Kagome, you're dead and the world is doomed if you don't get back with Inuyasha'."

"Did Astaroth not already prompt you with this information? And still you turned the half-demon away," Midoriko answered, finally giving me something to go on. "You're not listening and we don't have a choice. You get information when we want you to – and if it's from the Fallen One himself, well, as long as it's timely." Midoriko turned around, surveying the motel room. "We have other matters to attend to."

"That are more important than _saving the world_?" I exclaimed, incredulous.

The angel didn't even look at me. "Just as."

Then, of course, she took off.

I eyed the wine bottle and finished what was left of it. Clearly being the Chosen One meant that I had no choices. Inuyasha would have to remain by my side, at least until Naraku was defeated. After that we could go our separate ways and until that point in time, we'd deal. _I'd deal._

"Son of a bitch," I muttered, lying back down completely on my bed before closing my eyes. To make matters worse, I was hungry as hell.

Getting up and ignoring my car keys – a bottle of wine on an empty stomach did not equal driving – I headed over to Inuyasha's room. Surely he could run us over to the nearest burger place; I had a craving for a milkshake.

* * *

The milkshake never happened. What ended up occurring was Inuyasha glaring at me while I sloppily told him to take us for dinner. I'm not sure if he was offended or not, but he grabbed me, tossed me over his shoulder and then bolted.

We had pizza instead. Pizza places don't sell milkshakes. Or at least, they don't in Vermont.

That was the catalyst for the beginning of our war. The pizza was just the tip of the iceberg and eventually it got to the point that Inuyasha blatantly told me he was _grateful _for his own room.

"The better to escape from you with wench," Inuyasha had muttered.

I rolled my eyes because really? You're going to reiterate and garble Little Red Riding Hood to me? Please.

I don't want a room with you anyways.

Eventually Inuyasha found a case, and we argued about that too. I wanted to stay back because dammit _my car _was here and so what if my mechanic-slash-demon-slaying-pal wasn't answering? He was probably on a case himself. Inuyasha told me to just steal another one.

"Steal another one?" I had screamed, much to the distaste of the other pizza-wanting goers in the room with us. "That's _one of a kind_."

"There are hundreds of them," Inuyasha scoffed.

And really, the nerve of him. Just because he can't drive stick doesn't mean he has to be a douche bag. "Then you go on the case and I'll stay here."

"Right, me and my powers from Heaven will go and purify the demon that's currently eating a wide assortment of couples. I can see how this will work out well." Inuyasha glared at me, his golden gaze unwavering.

A long time ago I would've found it enticing, the way he looked at me and made the world seem that much more unimportant. Now I could only think about the fact that they _lied_. Gateway to the soul _my ass_. "Tie them up and wait for me to get there then," I replied.

"I go and you die, remember?" Inuyasha stated, looking immediately smug.

And that, right there, was when all of my leverage ended. Up until this point Inuyasha needed me – my help to get the jewel and kill Naraku. Now he realized I needed him. How the fuck did he find that out? I opened my mouth, closed it and decided to ignore him. The bastard could think what he wanted. Just because his thoughts happened to be right didn't mean I had to wholeheartedly agree.

"The grapevine is a glorious thing at times," Inuyasha said, smirking. "So are you coming or not?"

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

We ended up going. It was three days later and the only reason I gave in was because a child was now in critical condition at the hospital. Whatever demon was attacking these couples – most of them married – had either made a mistake or shifted focus. There was no point in going over the battle of which sort of lives were more important, but children were innocent. They had no idea of the evils that were out there. I had to, at the very least, do something.

Inuyasha had been the one to figure out what the hell kind of demon it was.

His name was Belphegor, and he was one ugly motherfucker.

I stared at the book Inuyasha slapped down in front of me. It was one of my own, a text that I barely used but kept in hopes that one day it would be helpful. Clearly today was that day. "Belphegor?"

Inuyasha nodded, flipping the page and pointing at a picture of a bearded demon with horns and sharp nails. "You know him, but not like this. Humans tend to mix things up, with all the different beliefs. In Christian tradition he's known as the deadly sin Sloth."

"Oh good," I murmured, raising a brow as I studied the page. "How did you know it was him?"

"I can smell him," Inuyasha replied, crinkling his nose. "It's not important. What _is_ important is that you purify him. I know where he'll be."

There were many times in my life that I questioned certain aspects of my situation. Maybe sometimes I questioned too little. But ever since that first encounter with Naraku, I had to get things straight. Life doesn't fuck with you for reasons unknown, it generally does it out of spite for _something_.

Inuyasha was my something.

So when he told me _it's not important_, I knew that was a lie. A huge one. I may have been blind before, but the curtains had opened and the light was shining in. I stared at the half-demon, debating. I could call him out on it or leave it. While I desperately wanted to do the first option, I clamped my mouth shut and actually thought about it.

This Belphegor clearly isn't Naraku. Realistically, he shouldn't be of any association. I'd have to do some research of my own, but if Inuyasha was picking out a demon and lying to me about it, then there had to be a good reason. Keeping my mouth shut would be the way to figure it out because asking him straight up? I would only get guarded masks and carefully chosen words. Possibly even an argument, if I was oh so lucky enough.

"Fine," I murmured. "After I finish dinner I'll look into it."

Inuyasha raised a brow at me, leaning forward on his elbows. "Why would you need to look into it yourself? I have all the information."

I didn't respond to him, merely smiled because that should be answer enough. _Lying asshole._

I was almost too lost in my thoughts of Inuyasha's lie to realize that the half-demon was only picking at his food. I looked up from under my bangs, watching as Inuyasha looked tense, almost troubled. There was definitely something up with him.

"Are you okay?" I asked casually, stuffing a piece of pepperoni in my mouth when Inuyasha looked up.

"Yeah, why?" The mask was back in place, beautifully constructed so I couldn't figure out anything that was running through his mind. Not that I had been so good at it before, obviously.

I shrugged. "You look unhappy."

For a second, Inuyasha opened his mouth, slamming it shut seconds later. I narrowed my eyes at him, figuring that what he was going to say would be both stupid and far too close to home.

There was silence after that.

I had gotten used to having a room by myself again, so when I waved Inuyasha off and slipped in, I turned on my laptop and groaned when there wasn't any WiFi. I would have to do things old school: _books_. It wasn't hard to find the demon Inuyasha had pointed out. The picture in the previous book along with the name Inuyasha had shown me made things a lot easier.

Belphegor had many different names and many different powers. Each religion had its own idea, but most of the basic components of this demon were intact. He was said to be one of the princes of Hell, using laziness as a way to seduce humans to kill other humans. It was all in the name of wealth and riches, which was how he was translated to be Sloth.

As I continued to read on, I learned that there wasn't anything peculiar about this demon. Sure he was big and bad and ugly, but there wasn't anything that could clue me in on why he was killing human couples – dating, co-habiting, married or otherwise. So what was making this one tick? The more reading I did, the harder it was for me to focus. I'd already been at it an hour and I could hear Inuyasha pacing noisily in the room next to me.

When my phone vibrated on the nightstand, I crawled on hands and knees to get to it, seeing the caller ID and grinning. "You're alive!"

"Yeah, yeah," the caller murmured, and even across crappy reception I could hear the smile in his voice. "How are you?"

I made a noise, staring at the wall that bridged between my room and the half-demon's. There was a sound that suspiciously mimicked breaking glass. "It's…okay. How about you? Where are you even?"

The guy on the other end laughed. "Why, are you going to track me down to squish my cheeks again? Because honestly, I've grown up _Kagome_."

"Oh Shippo, you'll always be my little boy," I teased, getting more comfortable on the ground. "But seriously, where are you? I have a problem."

"New Haven, uh, Connecticut," Shippo replied. "I've been here for the past year now."

I smiled at the thought. "You settled down? That's amazing, I'm glad."

"Thanks." The words were nearly muffled, like my long time friend was too embarrassed to say them. "What did you need though? Where are _you_? Last I heard, shit went down at Boomerang's and you're out. I've heard talk and it doesn't sound good."

"Hey, watch your language!" I interrupted. "And yeah, shit happened pretty badly. Miroku and Sango are fine though, hiding. I'm currently in Vermont and the Corvette is totalled. I need it fixed, badly."

There was a long, drawn out groan. "Again? What did you do this time?"

"An angel decided I wasn't doing a good enough job on my own."

I could practically hear the wheels turning around in Shippo's head. "What? Sh– Crap, what town?"

"Uh." I barely knew this myself. "Morris…Morrisville," I finally replied, trying to remember. "Can you even get time off to come here? I don't want to mess anything up for you."

Shippo laughed. "I have two weeks of vacation to take, and my boss is laid back. I'll talk to him tomorrow, but there shouldn't be any problems with me leaving this weekend. Seriously, where have you been?"

"Without you, clearly." I smiled, realizing that I was going to see Shippo for the first time in almost two years. "So you'll call me when you know your plans?"

"Right away," Shippo promised. "I'll see you soon."

"You better be," I told him, laughing when the younger guy huffed on the phone. "Wait, I have a question before you go." Doing this research on Belphegor wasn't getting me anywhere, but Shippo had still been a demon slayer ever since his parents had become the hosts to demons when he was only a child. There was a chance he'd know something. "Do you know anything about a prince of Hell named Belphegor?"

Shippo hummed for a moment, thinking out loud. "It sounds familiar. He's the one that targets laziness, right? Turns into a woman to lure them into his psychotic trap?"

"Yeah, that's him." The things that were said in a conversation between demon slayers could sometimes be astounding.

"There's not much to say, I don't think. He didn't play any sort of important roles that I know of. He's known as Sloth of the deadly sins, helps with discoveries of sorts, usually to treasure or riches. There's a long standing controversy regarding his connection to Moses and the sacrifices that were made in the demon's honour. He was also rumoured to have been sent by Lucifer to find examples of wedded bliss, but he didn't find any."

"Depressing," I murmured. "So I think I have this demon killing couples. Do you think that maybe it has to do with the idea of wedded bliss? Maybe all of these couples were unhappy with each other and Belphegor…killed them?"

"Demons have killed for lesser reasons," Shippo added. "I'll think about it. Maybe I can find something."

I laughed. "Worry more about getting here to fix my car, will you? And let me know when you're arriving."

"Will do, as always," Shippo said, sounding annoyed. "Bye Kagome."

"Yeah, bye to you too." The smile on my face was huge.

Of course, it ended pretty damn fast when there was a pounding on my door. Three guesses as to who that is.

I unlocked the door after slowly getting up, turning the knob and practically falling into the wall when Inuyasha burst in. He seemed to be in a mood again, great. "Nice to see you too."

"Who were you talking to?" If Inuyasha was going for casual, he sucked at it. Big time.

"I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. How are you?"

The half-demon growled, stomping up close and personal to me, his golden eyes bearing down into my own. "The sarcasm isn't appreciated."

"Lying to me isn't either, but so far that hasn't stopped you," I snapped back. "What's up with Belphegor, huh? I'm not stupid Inuyasha, not anymore at least."

Inuyasha's growl grew louder, but it could have been because he stepped closer, so close I could feel his chest practically humming with energy. "Why the fuck are you bringing _this_ up all the time?"

_This_. This. The thing that isn't going to be named. Well, I was going to make him say it. Two could play at that game. I could easily ignore his question, given how the answer might take some serious thinking. "And what exactly is _this_?"

"Oh fuck you," Inuyasha snapped. "Look, you don't want to tell me who it was, then fine. Just don't expect me to be able to keep you alive when you're constantly hiding things from me."

"The pot calling the kettle black, you asshole!" I screamed. "You tell me and I'll tell you, how does that sound? All nice and cozy?"

Inuyasha slammed his mouth shut, turning on his heel and storming over to my bed. He sat down like a stone, making the springs creak at the intrusion. Slowly he licked his lips open, gaze on the door. "Belphegor is helping Naraku, I'm pretty sure anyways."

"And you didn't tell me this because…?"

"You're not exactly all gung-ho for catching him anymore," the half-demon explained. "If you're not going to do it then I need to provide what I can to those that are still fighting him."

"Interesting how you make yourself seem to _selfless_," I muttered. "Did you promise them a shard of the jewel or what?"

The mask was so tightly in place, a diamond couldn't have cracked it. Inuyasha continued to avoid my gaze. "He's making couples kill each other, having them go to Hell and become more demons to toy with. More demons mean that Naraku has better chances of fulfilling his ritual."

The information was only a bit surprising. It matched Shippo's little theory that he previously told me. "My mechanic called, the friend? He's going to come over soon hopefully and fix the Corvette. We can bring Belphegor down in the meanwhile."

Inuyasha nodded sharply. "What's his name?"

"Shippo," I replied slowly, irritated with the questions. "Do you want to know his hair colour too? It's red. He has freckles. Cutest thing ever."

"Oh good, _cute_," Inuyasha muttered sarcastically. "Well I can't wait for that one. I'm going to bed."

"Thank god, seriously. You're grumpier than a child, and you act worse than one too," I threw in, crossing my arms as he approached my front door. "Anything else?"

"Yeah," the half-demon started, "you might want to add another Key tonight."

The statement was strange and I was taken aback. "Why?"

But Inuyasha either didn't hear me or he ignored me, because all he did was walk out the door and into the chilly night.

* * *

"So we're going to find Belphegor tonight, purify him and get this shit over with?" I asked, eyeing my juice distastefully. I still wanted that damn milkshake.

Inuyasha shook his head at me. "No."

So far the conversation was flowing great. It had been since he knocked on my door this morning telling me to 'get the fuck up.' We then proceeded to get some late breakfast. Inuyasha did nothing but giving new meaning to the phrase 'stony silence.' Hell, a statue probably would've been nicer for this little date. "Why not?" I snapped, frustrated.

"It has to be soon, before tonight," Inuyasha replied, not rising to the bait. He also didn't explain why, and I don't know, wasn't that _my whole fucking question_?

"Why not?" I asked again, my fingers tightening around my fork. I swear to god I'm going to stab him. I will.

The half-demon looked up, annoyed but definitely nowhere near the level I was at. "Because tonight's not a good night, how's that?"

"Really, want to enlighten me?" I hissed. "I thought we were doing the whole truth-telling thing now. Do you want to hold hands, will that make the moment more special?"

"I'm just dying to tell you now," Inuyasha snarled.

Pretty soon, he would be when my fork was shoved up his ass. "Spit. It. Out."

There was a long pause, a hesitation that seemed to go on forever. "Tonight is the night of the new moon," Inuyasha replied, his whole body tense. "I'll be human once again and useless. So tonight is not a good night. Happy now?"

I smiled. "More than."

Truthfully I was anything but. Last time Inuyasha had turned human, things had changed dramatically – pointedly my relationship with him. The fact that this was happening again was unbelievable. If I had the choice, I'd leave right now.

"Belphegor is smart, but he's about as lazy as the people he searches after. He doesn't hide his tracks well and he's not the sharpest tool in the shed when it comes to being inconspicuous," Inuyasha went on, obviously trying to get past his recent admittance. "When he transforms into a woman, he looks unreal."

I raised a brow. "How so, does she glow or something?"

"No, but she's the most perfect looking woman out there," Inuyasha replied.

I tried not to glare. Really, I did. There was no reason for me to glare.

So I did fail, because the way Inuyasha raised a brow at me in turn only made me realize that I was, in fact, glaring.

The half-demon seemed almost amused, snapped out of his previous quietness earlier. "So I've heard anyways. I've never actually seen Belphegor."

I hummed and tried to pretend that I didn't really care.

Only I kind of, sort of did.

Fuck.

* * *

"Told you," Inuyasha said, so smug I wanted to punch him.

Because yes, Belphegor as a human woman was pretty damn hot. I'd do her if 'she' was really a human, if that meant anything. I wouldn't tell Inuyasha that though.

"Shut up, will you?" I groaned, turning back around. We were currently crouching in some bushes, watching as a beautiful – and really, the word doesn't even cover it – woman approach a door. Apparently Inuyasha smelled Belphegor or something and was able to pinpoint the demon. I didn't particularly care. All I knew was that riding on Transit Inuyasha was a bumpy ride where all I did was smell _him_ and have my arms wrapped around him.

Really? Not a good idea. Not helping the whole _stay away_ thing. At all.

It wasn't hard to predict that the disguised Belphegor would get into the house. Whoever answered the door barely hesitated, only a few smooth words needed before the woman-slash-demon stepped into the building. It was a two story, in a suburban neighbourhood where children would probably be riding bicycles had it not been so goddamn cold. Fucking winter. I hated this shit.

"Shall we?" Inuyasha asked, peering once more over the bush. "I can see the couple but not that bastard. I don't know how long until he makes a move."

"Well he has to convince them to kill each other, either through his own cunning or a spell so we have a bit of time," I murmured, following suit. You go in the front door, kick it down for all I care. I'll sneak in the back somehow and purify him from behind if the situation presents itself."

"And if you can't get in?" Inuyasha asked, still not looking at me, his golden eyes focused ahead.

I rolled my eyes. "Then I'll go through the front asshole. Obviously."

We went on the move.

Thanks to the cold, there was no one outside to see us. Inuyasha snuck around, but I lost sight of him as I quickly made my way to the back. There was a loud crash inside forcing me to rush towards the only back entrance I could see, pulling on the handle. It moved and the glass door slid along the metal as I stepped in. I couldn't be sure if Belphegor or the couple knew I was here yet, but there was a lot of screaming. Hoping that I still had the element of surprise, I slipped along the walls, following the woman's shrieks until I entered the living room. There in the corner was a human couple, huddling and wide-eyed in horror. A broken telephone remained on the floor.

The woman saw me almost instantly, yelling help in panicked tones. I rushed over towards Inuyasha, trying to assess the situation. The half-demon had Belphegor pressed up against the wall, the female disguise clawing at him with her long nails. The eyes were red though, my radar beeping louder and louder as I drew closer. Belphegor wasn't touching the ground, pinned to the drywall by Inuyasha's deathly grip on the demon's throat.

It didn't stop the talking though, Inuyasha's growls almost too loud to make it out.

"It's not like you're going to be alive much longer anyways," the female-disguised Belphegor croaked. "Hide while you still can. My disposal will only be one more clue to his trail."

"Go fuck yourself," Inuyasha snarled, slamming the demon harder into the wall. "You're working for Naraku, aren't you? I bet he gave you a pretty sweet deal when he busted your ass out of Hell."

"Not good enough, apparently." The woman smiled and as I looked at her now I could see the ugly marring the beautiful. Her teeth weren't sparkling white anymore, her hair more brittle, frizzing and bent. I had to purify Belphegor before he fully turned back into his normally state. It would be harder to kill him if he had all his power at hand, but with Inuyasha's bulking position in front of him I virtually had no access.

"Inuyasha, let me," I said sharply, drawing the half-demon's attention momentarily.

Belphegor laughed. The woman's voice sounded deeper, rougher. "Still with the human bitch, huh? I'm surprised she didn't purify you like the rest, not after all those secrets you kept. Does she know about Sesshomaru?"

I didn't have to see his face to know that Inuyasha had suddenly closed himself off, his face going blank.

And of course the bastard lied to me. What else should I have expected? At least this time it was before the axe was coming down and my head was on the chopping block. "Let me do it _now_!" I yelled.

Inuyasha growled, using his strength to throw Belphegor against the wall on the other side of the room. The woman crumpled, looking far more demonic now as the disguise wore off. I ran over, punching Belphegor in the face and sending a knee to his ribs as I landed nearly on top of him. My hand didn't even have to touch his chest, it merely hovered above, finding the strings without hesitation. The connection to the demon's black heart was instant, something I had never really been able to do before. My powers were getting stronger, I could feel it coursing through my veins as the energy buzzed within me.

"Good luck," Belphegor wheezed, laughing.

I closed my hand into a fist, feeling the strings snap, the connection lost. The demon was now on a first-class ticket back to Hell.

I ignored the sobs of the terrified couple as I stood up, watching as the demon started to dissipate, melting into the hardwood floors until nothing was there. Inuyasha was behind me, I could sense him without the radar. I didn't even turn, stepping outside into the cold air and knowing that the half-demon would follow me.

My phone rang before I could even think of something to say, to fucking _scream_. I didn't check the caller ID, merely answered it briskly. "Hello?"

"Hey Kagome, it's Shippo." The reception was still shitty, maybe even more so than back at the motel, but I could hear the cheerfulness in his voice.

"Shippo, great, how are you?" I asked, still walking away, down the block and towards a small marketplace. It was where Inuyasha and I had arrived from, landing in the abandoned back parking lot so no one would see us fall out of the sky. Inuyasha would have to take us from there.

"Amazing, especially since I'm heading over tomorrow morning," my friend replied. "So you're lucky that I have so much vacation time saved."

"Lucky doesn't even cover it," I replied. "So I'll see you tomorrow then? Does a lunch date sound good?"

"Hey, I'm not easy," Shippo replied, laughing. "But yeah, I'll see you then. I've got work so I have to go, but _soon_."

Hanging up the phone, I ignored Inuyasha's glare. It was like daggers into my side, so it wasn't exactly the easiest thing to do. "Ready to go? Shippo's coming tomorrow morning."

"Fantastic." Inuyasha scooped me up roughly, grabbing under my back and legs before taking off at a run.

"You have a lot of explaining to do!" I yelled, knowing the wind would mostly carry the sound away. "Who is Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha didn't answer, but I doubt it was because he couldn't hear me. We didn't stop until later, back at the motel with my hair in an atrociously tangled mess and Inuyasha breathing hard. It was probably not the best time for this conversation, but still.

"Now, explain," I said, standing shakily and trying to cover it up when I leaned against the door. "What the hell was Belphegor saying, and _no lying_ for fuck's sake. I'm going to find out."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Demons have a surprising loose trap when they're about to die. It's like an instinctive defence to try and talk their way out of shit."

"Still not answering the question," I pointed out.

Inuyasha clenched his teeth, turning away from me and crossing his arms. "Sesshomaru is a demon, a fucking powerful one although you didn't hear that coming from me." The half-demon huffed, pacing. "He's looking for me."

I nodded. Of course, the traditional _fuck my life_ could be inserted here. It could generally be inserted anywhere I breathed. "Lovely. I'm excited, seriously, I am."

"Fuck off," Inuyasha muttered, not nearly as pissed off as he should've been. I had gotten more of a reaction out of him this morning at breakfast. "He's not coming to kill me like that asshole said though. He's just…checking up."

"On what?" I exclaimed. "Is he your demonic bookie or something looking for the dough? I'm up to here Inuyasha," I snapped, letting my hand flying about as high into the sky as it could. "Explain your shit or I'm going to try to purify you and you _know_ I can."

It was a very bad bluff, but the half-demon groaned and finally faced me. "He's just checking up, finding me. We'll probably fight, nearly kill one another and then either one of us will find something rather distracting to turn our attention away from each other so the fight can end and we can do it all again at a later date."

That wasn't what I was expecting. "So you're like two teenagers horny for it but are trying to keep it a big secret by acting all awkward when the situation heats up?"

"I don't know why I talk to you." Inuyasha turned around on his heel, his room keys in hand. "Now I'm going to demon proof my bedroom so that the bastard can't find me while I'm human and go to bed so that I can experience human crap as little as possible. Goodnight Kagome."

I stared after him, watching as he opened the door and didn't even look back. Was he going to just dump all of that information on me without answering any of the big questions and then _leave_? Did he think I was _stupid_?

Getting angrier by the second, I went to my own room to cool off.

I'd need to, because it wasn't even dinner time and surely one problem would arise within the next few hours of daylight.

* * *

Correction: Several problems came up. Most of them, however, occurred at night.

Fuck my life.

* * *

**_Comments to Acknowledge_**

_Caleb Parks: _Wow thank you, that's so sweet of you to say! I'm so sorry for such a long wait, but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!

_InuKag4eva: _Thanks darling! I always appreciate your lovely comments :)

_NurNur:_ Oh he definitely is, soon at least! I have a lot more to put into this story. It's starting to feel like the one that'll never end...

* * *

_I swear the next chapter won't take so long. I really am sorry, although I can't control what I call my world of NoLife-slash-TooMuchLife. I'm still not sure which one it is..._

_Feedback, as always, is loved and cherished and greatly appreciated._


	32. When You Let Love Down

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Two: When You Let Love Down**

* * *

"_The stars in the night, they lend me their light to bring me closer to heaven with you."_

_-Gunslinger, Avenged Sevenfold_

* * *

Dinner was depressing. Inuyasha refused to go out, and since I had no car and no means of quick transportation I had to call and pay the extra for delivery from a _pizza place_. The half-demon was truly, truly evil. What was with all the pizza?

I lasted until one in the morning, which was pretty good, considering. There was nothing on television, there wasn't any internet, and to be honest, I was bored as hell. The only thing I had left to do was brood about Sesshomaru.

Who the hell was this demon? Inuyasha obviously knew him, and knew him well since there seemed to be a pattern of 'checking up' on the other. The killing thing was a bit confusing, he had me there, but I could toss that behind the fact they're both _demons_. Common sense wasn't exactly their strong suit.

On top of all of that, there was something desperate that was forcing me outside of my own motel room and over to Inuyasha's. Whatever it was, it was consuming. The moment I thought of it I leapt off of the bed. Something had to be done, something had to give. I couldn't just worry about a random demon attack out of nowhere if I had no plans on how to survive.

Then there was the fact that Inuyasha was human, right now, right this instant. It was the night of the new moon, and last time this happened…well Inuyasha and I _happened_. Realistically, this should be a very strong con to going over to his room, but alas, it didn't succeed. My head was spinning as I knocked on the door, heart pounding. It was stupid, that's what this truly was. The biggest problem was that I didn't care.

That desperate push was a tangled mess of Inuyasha and I, something deeply unresolved and angst-filled. Maybe part of the reason I was outside of his door now, freezing my ass off, was because last time Inuyasha was human things just _worked_ between us. He talked; for the first time since our supposed partnership, Inuyasha actually opened up to me. It was smooth and relaxing – despite the fact he had nearly died – and all of that was just so opposite to what the normal half-demon and I were like on a daily basis.

I knocked on the door again, irritated now. It was November and freezing, and the least he could do was answer. "I know you're in there Inuyasha!"

The click and turn of the lock made me stand straighter. The door swung wide and Inuyasha stood there, looking not so different but shocking me all the same. I think the hardest part to take were the eyes – deep, brown but so dark and vulnerable. The human male rolled his eyes at me, snapping me out of my daze. It was only then I realized he was sleep-rustled, in nothing more than a thin cotton t-shirt and boxers.

Why was I here again?

"You going to let me in?" I asked, feeling my body shiver all over. It was definitely caused by the cold wind, but I could imagine far more things inside with _him_ that would get the same reaction.

"I told you wench, I didn't want to be awake for this. What part didn't you understand?" Inuyasha growled, clearly displeased. His voice rumbled, sleep-heavy and rough like whiskey on that first gulp down.

"I have a few questions dammit, just let me in!" Did I have questions? I couldn't remember them now. It didn't really matter, because the newly-human Inuyasha opened the door wider anyways. I could tell by the look in his eyes he knew something else was up – other than my _questions_.

He shut the door behind me and went back to bed, lying on top of the covers. I wanted to shoot him. Really, I did. Because it was unfair how good he looked, and how he was just _there_ on the bed wearing _so very little_. Inuyasha smirked at me, propping his head in his hands. "So you had questions?"

What an evil little bastard. He was doing this on purpose. He was, right? He had to be, that son of a bitch. And now I was stuck, trying to remember the information I had intended on getting before he opened the door and distracted me. This was embarrassing and possibly a little bit sad.

Just a little.

Wait! _Sesshomaru._

"I need to know more on this demon you know, Sesshomaru. What kind of demon is he? You have to know. Anything is better than the shit all I have now, and with no internet it's pretty hard to do any sort of research," I explained, making an effort not to fidget. Fidgeting would probably only bring me closer to the bed.

That was _so_ not a good idea. I still couldn't trust him, it was obvious.

Of course, my brain and sex drive weren't exactly on the same level, as you could imagine. Especially as of _right now_.

"I'd rather not," Inuyasha replied simply, shrugging. "Don't worry, as long as you don't get in the way he won't kill you. He might threaten you, but that's why I'm here."

"The fact that you're here is the reason I would be threatened in the first place so that's not _why you're here_," I argued, getting frustrated. "You're really not going to tell me anything? Nothing at all."

"Are you going to tell me about this friend of yours?" Inuyasha asked, staring at me intensely with those dark eyes. Before when they were gold, it was mesmerizing. I felt myself start to fall back into old patterns and– no. No, that couldn't happen, dammit. "The cute one with freckles."

"_Seriously?_" I may have screeched, a little bit. "Shippo is none of your concern. He is certainly not coming here to _kill me_, unlike a demon that goes by the name of – oh, what was it? –_Sesshomaru_."

"I don't like it." Inuyasha sighed, tilting his head back to stare at the ceiling rather than me. "You should just get a new car."

I closed my eyes. We weren't having this discussion. We couldn't be, because I'd be currently throttling him with my bare hands. "Shippo is coming tomorrow to help fix my car. You are going to help me find it again, help Shippo with whatever he may need and then at the end of the few days or the week he's here–"

"A _week_?" Inuyasha yelled, sitting up. Well, now he was looking at me. "No way in hell."

"What is your problem?" I demanded. "Shippo is a good friend of mine and certainly not someone to be worried about. He's not even a slayer anymore so you don't have anything to be concerned about."

"Yeah right," Inuyasha muttered, quietly under his breath though I heard it all the same. "You want to watch television?"

Oh good. We were back to pleasantries. "There's nothing on, I've searched every channel."

"Television sucks less with two people I've heard."

"And that's a lie," I retorted, crossing my arms. "Don't try to stall or get around this. Inuyasha, what is your problem with Shippo? You don't even know him."

"Do I have to like the people I don't know? How does that make any sense?" Inuyasha asked. "Isn't it actually smarter to hate the people you don't know so that if you do happen – by whatever miracle – to like them, then you're pleasantly surprised?"

This wasn't real logic. Why didn't I have my gun on me right now because honestly, I wanted to shoot him in the face. "You're an asshole."

"And yet, you still come to my room," Inuyasha sighed. "Look, I know why you came over here. Last time I was human, we were still on good terms. You want to know if it can still be that way, just because I'm temporarily demon KO'd for the night. So here's your answer: no, it can't be. You don't trust me and I'm annoyed by you. So now that your question is answered, why don't you go back to your room and sleep? I'm sure you'll need all the beauty rest you can get for your friend tomorrow."

I stood there, completely taken aback by his bluntness. A big chunk of what he said was right. It was like finally getting a clearer picture, even though I hadn't realized what the picture was of. Inuyasha was right. That pretty much summed everything up.

"Just go to sleep and I'll see you in the morning," Inuyasha murmured, brown eyes lowered to the bed cover.

I didn't want to leave. There was no part of me – brain or sex drive – that wanted me to walk out of that door and actually do what the man suggested. And yet, I could feel my feet moving in that direction, feel the cold air as the night nipped at me.

My own room was too quiet now since there was no one to argue with. I sighed, got on my bed and turned on the television.

Maybe Inuyasha was right about another thing: television probably does suck less with another person watching it with you.

I gave up, bit the bullet, and finally went to bed.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha hated this. He hated these nights, the stupid ones on the new moon, when he felt like shit and a whole bunch of other things too. It was like…like…like his _insides_ were being rewound and turned out. It seemed as if the whole word was just _there_, looming over top of him, settling on his shoulders.

Fucking human emotions.

Growling from his seat on the bed, Inuyasha glared at the plain bed cover. Sometimes he thought he'd get used to feeling such things – after all, this wasn't the first time he'd been human, it happened on every new moon. The problem was that it never, ever got easier. Eventually Inuyasha learned to not be awake if he could help it, maybe shelve out some cash if he could steal some and hide behind real walls for the night.

Being a half-demon wasn't the easiest, but being human was certainly a lot worse. While the emotions he felt when in his natural state – his hybrid one – were still there, they were never so overwhelming. He guessed that humans probably didn't feel like committing homicide or suicide all the time. It probably affected him more _because_ of his lack of time spent like one.

Everything was just…so…_there._

And Kagome made it a fucking shitload worse.

His brown gaze rose from the bed sheet, focusing on the door to the motel room. Inuyasha should've known Kagome was going to come in. She was like that, just that type of person that couldn't leave things be. He could already tell how conflicted she was – with him, their situation, the whole Heaven and Hell crap that constantly orbited around them. It was only natural for her to come here, thinking like she had.

It didn't make it any easier on him though.

"_You want to know if it can still be that way, just because I'm temporarily demon KO'd for the night. So here's your answer: no, it can't be. You don't trust me and I'm annoyed by you."_

Right, annoyed. Like that was the proper word for it. It was, in a sense, but Kagome made Inuyasha feel a lot more than simply _annoyed_. She was difficult, but she had always been difficult. She was stubborn, but that hadn't exactly changed since he had met her either.

The only thing that had changed was what was between them, and because of that, Inuyasha was sure he wouldn't survive the night. It could be that way. He had been lying through his fucking teeth as he said it, feeling every muscle in his body tense with each syllable. There was nothing he wanted more than her, especially in this…this _human_ state.

Fuck emotions, and hormones and everything else that got a million times worse when the demon side temporarily took a holiday. Fuck them.

Inuyasha had never been one to learn about a half-demon's neurological and anatomical functions, mostly because he didn't know any other half-demons to cross-reference himself with. He merely felt what he felt, and because of it, Inuyasha was more vulnerable and rash when it was the night of the new moon.

Fucking moon.

Fuck this whole situation. He should tell Kagome that. Inuyasha should just march over to her room and tell her that none of this was his fault. He should tell her all of the crap that was flying around in his head. Maybe even how fucking sorry he was.

Because on top of all of it – the angry words, the stilted conversation, the looks and touches – Inuyasha was still very sorry. He hadn't truly felt it until this moment, right now. Why? Because if he hasn't fucked up, he'd be with Kagome right now, in her room. Maybe in the same bed. Maybe touching, holding each other. Maybe he could tell her things he'd never been able to tell anyone. Maybe she'd stop being such a stubborn wench and actually let him take some of her baggage.

But.

Inuyasha's dark eyes turned towards the television, the box turned off. He should go to bed, that was what he should really do. He was still human and things never turned out well when he was human. The only exception was possibly the last time, and that was only if you excluded the nearly dying part. Everything else had been…good. Better than Inuyasha had ever had.

Standing up from the bed, Inuyasha walked to the doorway. He didn't think about it, didn't process what his body was doing until the cold air slapped his skin. He stood out in the freezing night, in front of his door with only three steps left to hers. Inuyasha bit his lip.

Three steps and his hand was raised, hovering over the wooden door in a fist. He could knock, hope that she answered and then things could progress from there. Where they would progress to, he didn't know. Inuyasha didn't know a lot of things when he was a human. It was too emotional inside of his head, too irrational to think straight.

The last time he had felt this way, he and Kagome had kissed. Everything slowly changed then, evolving into something he knew they'd get to. Then he fucked it up.

That's right, he fucked up bad.

His hand stilled, frozen in the air. Inuyasha thought about it, really took a moment to think about it. One move, and like before, everything could change.

Which is why, in the end, it was the safest option to lower his hand and sigh. He carefully placed his forehead on the door, taking a deep breath in. Who knew that out of everything in his miserable life, Kagome would be the one person to make it worse almost as much as she made it better?

He couldn't talk to her. He couldn't destroy her again.

Teeth clenching and feeling worse than ever, Inuyasha turned around. Of course, that was when everything went severely wrong.

* * *

It woke me up with a start. My hand was fumbling around, searching the small crevice beside the bed for my gun. I jumped up, bleary and hardly focused. The front door knob was in my hand, turning, not fast enough.

_Beep, beep, beep_–

It was loud – louder than I'd heard it in a long time. The demon radar had picked up something close. A heavy feeling settled in my stomach, and the sound of Inuyasha's grunting had me out the door faster. Gun trained ahead I paused, staring at two female demons literally standing just outside my door. I didn't stop, didn't pause to think. Inuyasha was hunched over, protecting his stomach. There was a tall female demon and a shorter one with white hair.

But there was no time, no time to process any more than Inuyasha was hurt and there were two demons right in front of me.

I pulled the trigger three times – twice at the larger female demon and one at the short one. They stumbled backwards, the smallest one falling to the ground while the other turned ruby eyes at me, glaring.

"Kagome, what the fuck?" Inuyasha yelled. "Stop!"

My hands were out for the woman when two strong arms wrapped around me, picking me up off the ground. I jabbed back, hitting only a shoulder. Inuyasha's grunt at the contact was enough to make me stop though, confused as to why the hell he was holding me back. "What are you doing?"

"You _shot_ them!" Inuyasha yelled, quite irrationally I thought. He put me down and aside, rushing over to the two demons now on the ground in the parking lot.

I looked around, seeing no other cars. Maybe no one heard the shots, but I couldn't depend on the motel owners not to have heard and luck was rarely on my side. "Inuyasha, what are you doing?" I hissed, trying to get closer but only hearing Inuyasha's warning growl. "They're demons!"

"Thanks _Sherlock_," Inuyasha snapped.

"She's a bitch, so you know," the ruby-eyed demon woman panted, looking up and staring directly at me. I stood there, trying to figure out what was going on when those eyes moved back over to Inuyasha. "But…better than the last one…I guess. She actually shot me."

"Shut the fuck up, Kagura." Inuyasha didn't sound happy; he looked almost panicked. "How did you find me?"

"Tracked you," the demon whispered, wincing as she started to shift. "Waited it out to talk to you but then she walked out to see you and then you walked out to her door to talk to her–"

"He what?" I asked, taking a step forward.

"This isn't the time!" Inuyasha yelled. "Wench, help me get them inside."

"Inside what?" Everything started to sound the same in my head, but if he was asking me what I thought he was, shit was going to hit the fan. "Don't fucking tell me _dog boy_ that–"

"Dog boy?" The taller demon burst out laughing, the chuckles too broken as blood soaked her outfit. "Oh god…that's brilliant."

"I'll have her shoot you again," Inuyasha hissed. Was it just me, or did he look like he was about to cry? "And we have to take them into my room. Break the devil's trap, will you?"

"So you can house the demons that were attacking you moments ago…_in the room I paid for_?" I whispered, desperately wanting to yell but not want to draw any more attention. No one had come out yet trying to determine what the shots were from. My luck didn't need to be pressed further. "No way."

"If I may–"

"Kagura, shut up," Inuyasha interrupted.

"Kagura?" This night? Was just getting _worse_. "You mean the demon that kidnapped me?" I spun around to look at the little demon with white hair, who just laid there staring blankly at the sky. I could tell she was alive since her chest was still rising and falling with breath. "Is this the other one? Kanna?"

"Of course you told her," Kagura spat towards Inuyasha, rolling her ruby eyes. "Selfish bastard."

"Just- Just come here," Inuyasha said, standing up and grabbing my arm. He dragged me back towards my open motel room door, pushing me against the door jam. "Listen to me, we'll talk about this later. But you shot the only two demons that Naraku trusts and if word gets back to him that you gunned them down, we'll have nothing to go on."

"So I'm going to keep the two demons that tried to kill me _alive_? I'm going to save their asses?" I demanded, incredulous. "Goddammit, no."

Inuyasha's grip tightened on my arm, his other hand pressing down on my shoulder. He stepped closer, dark brown eyes staring into my own. "You need to kill Naraku and you can't do it without me. Kagura and Kanna have information that we need. I'll explain everything _after_ we get them inside, okay?" His voice was soft, lightly pleading. There was no light from the outside parking lot to help me get a better look at his face, at his eyes. I had nothing to go on.

"You realize you're asking me to trust you, possibly with my life," I said flatly. _And look how well it turned out the first time_. I didn't say it, but it didn't need to be brought up. I knew the black-haired man in front of me got it.

"Yeah," he whispered, just as soft. "I know."

I nodded once, tightly. "Fine, but we're talking later." I waited for him to remove his hands, ignoring the fact that he continued to look at me for a moment too long. When he finally let go and turned away I followed, seeing Kagura now sitting up while Kanna was still on the ground, black blood seeping into the parking lot. Both of their outfits were ruined, trashed with black and holes.

I hated demons. I particularly hated these ones.

"Going to try and kill me again?" I asked, unable to help myself as I watched Inuyasha start to help Kagura up. I tried not to feel something stupid – like jealousy – when his arms shifted to hold her. "Or will you wait until I'm asleep before you go for attempt number two?"

"When you're asleep," Kagura said, her voice a bit raspy. "Kanna- Kanna get up."

The white-haired demon, who looked more like a little girl than anything else, blinked. "I can't." The words were said so quietly I could barely hear them. "It won't…" She took a deep, laboured breath.

"Her body is too small, it needs more time to reject the bullet and heal," Inuyasha explained to me. "If you can't get her, just wait. I'll be back in a second."

I watched as he took Kagura back into his motel room, hesitating for only a moment before walking right up to Kanna's bleeding body. "Is it a human shell you use?" I asked, clenching my teeth. If this demon inhabited a little girl's body, I may not be able to stop myself from killing her.

"No," Kanna responded. "My own form." The demon paused, her nearly black eyes gazing at me. I could see the red flecks buried within them. "I saw your dreams. I…I saw your past."

I felt my patience wearing thin. Where was Inuyasha already? "Do you want me to purify you? I could do it from here."

Kanna didn't seem to take in my statement, almost like she was ignoring me. "You…" She took a raspy breath. "You love him."

"Who?" I asked, seconds away from shooting her if nothing else. Whatever was caught in her head was bullshit. All of it.

"Couldn't lift her?" Inuyasha asked, reappearing.

I instantly backed off, picking up my fallen gun and heading towards my room. "Just get back here as fast as you can. I'd set the trap back up though so they can't escape." I didn't look at the human male bent down in the parking lot, didn't think anymore as I went through the open door and slammed it shut. My head was a mess, and it was…four in the morning. Holy shit, this would never end.

I sat down on my bed, running a hand through my long hair. I desperately wanted to go back to bed, to forget all of this. Not only was I dealing with Kagura and Kanna, but I had Shippo coming in the morning and a demon named Sesshomaru after Inuyasha. Naraku was still on my hit-list, there was that wolf demon probably still planning on killing me – along with a shitload of other demons – and…_and_…

There was a knock at the door and I stood up, opening it. Inuyasha walked in, his white shirt covered in black demon blood, probably from helping Kagura and Kanna to the other room. "Did you tuck in the children?"

Inuyasha rolled his brown eyes. "I can't believe you shot them."

"I'm sorry," I muttered sarcastically, turning back towards my bed. "When my demon radar goes off and I see you doubled over in pain I tend to think _shoot and kill_. What I can't believe is that you stopped me."

"Kagura found it funny that she can punch me and as a human it'll hurt," Inuyasha said, explaining something I hadn't outright asked. "She had been tracking us, to talk about something Naraku is up to. We need to talk to them in the morning when they're okay."

I gave a half-smile. "Lovely, I'll pencil that in along with the rest of my day. Explain to me why I'm paying for their stay tonight?"

"If Naraku finds out through another one of his demon lackeys, Kagura and Kanna will be dead and we'll have no inside source. My room is already protected with all the symbols and salt to stop any demons from finding them."

"What if they were tracked from the beginning like we were?" I asked, trying to be more difficult. "We're fucked then."

"We'd already be dead," Inuyasha snapped. "Look, I'm not happy either but you shot them."

"_You_ talked to them," I countered, clenching my fists. "Don't pin this on me."

"I wasn't doing anything of the sort," Inuyasha threw back at me, glaring.

For the longest time we just stared at each other, saying things we couldn't out loud. _You love him_. Stupid Kanna. I should have shot her.

"Bed?" I asked, still glaring.

Inuyasha blinked, taking a small step back. "What?"

"Let's go to sleep, because I currently want to kill you and I can't do that if I'm sleeping," I replied sweetly. I pushed back the covers and slid underneath, ignoring the fact that it was one bed and Inuyasha would be in it. Of course he would be.

Inuyasha didn't say anything, merely grumbled incoherently under his breath before his hands tugged at the bottom hem of his shirt, pulling upwards and…_off_.

Oh god. "What are you doing?" I hissed, wide-eyed. No. No, please universe, there was only so much of tonight I could handle. This? No. Just…no.

Please, no.

Pointing at the black stains of demon blood on his shirt, he raised both brows. "Unless you think that's sexy to bring to bed. I'm not sure."

"Shut up, please," I moaned, burying my face in the pillow. If I didn't look, I wouldn't want to touch.

Too bad. I saw already. The six pack and the smooth lines and soft skin and…_fuck_. Ignore the mattress moving. Ignore the swish of the blankets as Inuyasha was clearly _not_ sliding in beside me. No, he wasn't breathing close to me, his body wasn't warm and no, his elbow did not just accidentally touch my ribs. He didn't touch me at all.

_Go to bed_.

"Kagome?"

"Say one word Inuyasha, and I'll pull the gun back out."

There was a moment of silence, where all I could hear was his soft, even breathing.

"Goodnight wench."

I sighed. "Goodnight dog boy."

"I'm human right now–"

"Don't remind me." I closed my eyes. Falling asleep was definitely the best option.

* * *

No it wasn't. Nope, no it wasn't at all.

You know those romance comedies where somehow, someway, the two main leads end up in bed together – not for sex, just end up in bed somehow – and they wake up all tangled together, like two love birds?

Well this…_wasn't exactly_ it. Close, admittedly, but not it.

I was currently teetering off the edge of the bed, which was probably the reason I woke up in the first place. My ass was off but my legs were wrapped around Inuyasha's. My face – oh god, my face – was pressed into his chest. _His chest people_, which is nice and firm and hard and warm and… Stop. Stop thinking about it. Think about something else.

Like…his breath on your forehead. It came out in warm puffs, and as I shifted to try and get back on the bed some more, I felt two soft pads press against my forehead. Oh, you know, just his lips, no big deal. I could handle this.

It's not like we'd ever had sex before or anything like that. It wasn't like I was attracted to him in any way, shape or form. No. No, Inuyasha was not the kind of guy that had the ability to turn me on. At all. What_so_ever.

I pushed at his shoulder, my other arm numb underneath his heavy body. If I could get him to roll over, I'd be able to either get on the bed or get enough leverage to slip out without waking him. Unfortunately, it didn't work out that way. Inuyasha leaned back a bit, but his arms – that were apparently circled nicely around me, thank you very much – tugged me with him.

On top of him.

Jesus fucking Christ.

It was the morning too, and like a lot of men out there in the world, Inuyasha's body wasn't exactly…calm. Or, you know, a certain part of his body was calm.

Inuyasha hugged me tighter.

"OH MY GOD," I yelled, pushing away and falling to the other side, completely tumbling off of the mattress and into the wall.

"What?" Inuyasha jackknifed up in bed, looking around the room. His golden eyes landed on me, inquisitively at first before he looked around the bed and probably put a few things together. Not everything, because dear lord I _hope_ he didn't understand everything, but enough to realize why I was currently on the ground and against the wall.

"Morning," I croaked. I hate life. I hate life. I hate life. I hate life.

That just wasn't fair. Not fair _at all_.

"Yeah, morning," Inuyasha mumbled, rubbing his head. "What time is it?"

I looked to the clock on the nightstand, wincing. "Nine. Are you going to talk to the demon bitches in the other room?"

"When I get a shirt, yeah," Inuyasha grumbled. I tossed the sheets aside and crawled off the bed from the opposite edge. He looked around and spotted my duffel bag. "You have something in here I can use that's not a thousand sizes too tight? My bag is in the other room and my shirt was destroyed."

I blinked. That was a long question mixed with a long sentence and it was the morning so… "I don't know, maybe?"

It turned out that there was. One of my old sleep shirts was a large, but it barely fit him. Actually, truthfully, it fit him brilliantly. Seeing his hard abdominal muscles was always a plus when I was barely coherent in the mornings. Maybe it was a bit small in the shoulders but…it certainly hid nothing from wandering eyes.

Not that my eyes were wandering any.

"I'll be back," Inuyasha said, not turning those golden eyes back on me as he headed towards the door and left.

I waited, thankful that I had so far survived today. I was still pressed up against the wall as if I was going to be attacked at any moment. Moving was probably a smart option by now. Getting the day going. Loving life and all that crap.

My cell phone went off.

It took a flying leap for me to get to it, originally disoriented as to where I had left it. It was on the floor beside the nightstand, vibrating and ringing on the poor carpeting. I grabbed it quickly and answered. "Hello?"

"I'm an hour out, where are you exactly?" Shippo asked, cutting to the quick. A loud honking could be heard and Shippo's annoyed grumbling filled the phone. "Some people know nothing about driving."

I laughed, unable to help myself. At least Shippo would be one small positive coming into my day today. Now if only Inuyasha could stop being such a negative, things would work out for the better. I had to search around the motel room for the address, but eventually I got it and passed it off. Shippo promised to be as soon as he could, if he survived the traffic.

"Even if you do get here you'll have to survive Inuyasha," I mumbled, letting the words slip out without thought.

"Huh?" Shippo asked. He sounded far too distracted for that conversation.

I sighed. "You'll see when you get here, don't worry. Drive safe."

I stared at the phone the moment I hung up, wondering what my day was going to consist of. Lunch with Shippo was a definite, and getting my car to have it fixed would be optimal. If there was any sort of humanity in the world, Inuyasha would've gotten rid of Kagura and Kanna by now. I didn't want to deal with them, or listen to them speak.

The pounding from the wall made me realize that no, there was no humanity in the world.

I groaned, stepped into the bathroom and took my time getting ready. I rinsed off quickly in the shower, tossing my hair up in a bun to forget about. The first clean clothes I could find were the ones I slipped on, the pants totally not matching the sweater but not caring either way. I grabbed the motel key and left, truly dreading going into the other room. What the hell was I walking into?

Answer: nothing good.

Inuyasha was the one that opened the door, looking exhausted like he hadn't gotten any sleep. I knew that wasn't the case, so whatever Kagura just told him obviously had been bad. "We're in trouble."

"Oh good, I was worried for a moment my life was starting to make a turn for the better," I muttered, stepping in beside him and looking at both Kagura and Kanna. The small one was sitting on the bed, staring into what looked like a mirror. I frowned, looking at the half-demon. "Want to explain what's happening?"

"Naraku has found a…partner," Kagura said, crossing her arms over her chest, pacing around the room. She carefully evaded the devil's trap though, making sure to not get trapped within it. "It won't be long now."

I didn't even have to ask further, since Inuyasha stepped into my space. "He's teamed up with another demon to speed up the process of the ritual. Someone to help…wrangle in the flighty ones."

"Didn't we already get rid of Belphegor?" We had literally just worked to kill that demon, who was killing humans and having their souls go to Hell. "Who is it this time, do we have any information?"

"You don't, but I do," Kagura interrupted. The demoness smiled, a slimy thing that made my gut clench. "Of course, I don't give away my leverage so easily."

I smiled right back at her, not prepared to let her think she had me. Raising my hand, I probed for the feeling, the connection of my hands to her black heart strings that would purify her. I watched as her face changed, the ruby red eyes widening just a fraction. Her mouth opened silently, about to say something before I felt strong hands push down at my wrist, breaking the connection.

Inuyasha was growling, the half-demon in him completely back and with a vengeance. "Did you not listen to a _word_ I said last night?"

"I will _not_ let a demon control me," I snarled, using my other hand to try and make him let go of me. He wouldn't, and his golden eyes held dangerously still. "Let me go, this is getting really old, really fast."

Inuyasha obliged, turning to face Kagura. "So now you know she'll kill you without a thought. Forget the mind games and tell us, because like it or not Kagome's a bitch and doesn't listen to a thing I say."

That was true, especially during these turbulent times. I smiled at the demon.

Kagura's face twisted into something ugly, but the facts started to leave her lips in a rushed stream. "His name is Ryukotsusei, a Valac demon. Of course, Inuyasha already knows all about him."

I turned to look at the golden-eyed man standing beside me, noticing for the first time that he was tense, stuck to his spot in the room and unmoving. I cast slow glances between the two, wondering what the hell was going on. "Inuyasha, what does she mean you know all about him?"

"Fuck." The word was soft, quiet and before I could say anything the half-demon was already at the door, scratching the outer circle of the trap off to break the spell and panting loudly. "Get out."

For a moment I thought he was referring to me, never before seeing such anger in his eyes. It wasn't until Kagura scoffed that I realized differently, feeling a breeze pass through the room when there shouldn't have been one. I spun around the room and both of the female demons were gone, disappearing with the wind out the door and leaving Inuyasha and I immediately alone.

The half-demon was trembling, vibrating from anger I was sure, although it could pass juts the same as sadness. I wanted to step closer to him, to touch his arm and tell him that whatever the hell was plaguing his mind was going to be okay. Although, what right did I have to say that? Nothing in my life had ever turned out okay, and many others had said those same words to me. They would feel false, no matter how much I meant them.

"I'm leaving."

The abrupt announcement was the other shoe dropping, the slap it took for me to finally bridge the gap between us and grab his wrist. "What? Where? Inuyasha, what the hell is going on?"

"Don't touch me," Inuyasha said sharply, spinning out of my grasp. For a second I wished that I had his strength, that I could hold him back without even breaking a sweat. The half-demon was already ten steps away from me and in the parking lot by the time I even realized it, and I ran out after him, not bothering to shut the door.

"Tell me what's going on!" I screamed, but it didn't matter. Inuyasha was already coiled up, ready to spring into the air and do whatever the hell it was demons did. That last second before he flew, before he made the leap and disappeared from view, his golden eyes landed on me. They weren't angry, or violent, or anything that remotely related to the tone in his voice moments ago. This was something different, and it made me run. "Inuyasha!"

But he left. It took only ten seconds before he was officially out of my sight, heading west. I stood there in the middle of the parking lot, wondering what the fuck had just gone down. I stayed there and wondered if the half-demon was coming back.

* * *

It was in the middle of the parking lot, just sitting there with my head to the sky, that Shippo found me. I wasn't sure how long I had been there, but I was frozen to the bone when the redhead poked his head from car window, staring at me like I had possibly lost my mind.

"I knew you missed me, but I didn't think it was _that _much," Shippo said, a big grin on his face. His emerald green eyes sparkled with more than just amusement; the concern wasn't hard to find.

Immediately I stood up and squealed, racing to his car door and hugging him awkwardly through the open window. "What time is it?" I asked, thinking of how long I had possibly been out there for.

"It's…just after ten, and I don't know about you but I'm starving." Shippo pale face peeked out, his freckles more prominent in the sun. "Would you mind if we had a late breakfast date instead? Is that too forward of me?"

"I practically raised you, so it's a little more than forward," I admonished, even though it was a pretty big exaggeration. I had run into Shippo when he was barely a teen, the kid lodging at Boomerang's. He was working there for a bit, trying to make a bit of cash before moving on. His parents had been killed by demons, and while he wasn't a natural demon slayer like I was where the holy powers made it impossible to ever quit until your mission was accomplished, he still travelled and exorcised those who were possessed. I managed to convince him to stay, and for three months I made sure he did work for Sango and Miroku. I still had jobs, but it had been the most I had stayed at Boomerang's in a while. When Shippo finally left, I did too. If I was right, he had just turned seventeen.

"Fine, I'll let you pay then." Shippo laughed and unlocked the car. "Can we go now?"

"Yeah," I agreed, taking a step back. "Let me–" Inuyasha's motel room door was still wide open and I hated to think about those raging feels at the moment. "I'll be a second." It didn't take long to close the other door and then grab my wallet from my own room. I didn't have a car, so I would just have to trust that nothing shitty would happen and I could leave my stuff there.

Jumping into the car, I let Shippo's big smile wash over me. Everything would be okay. Surely Inuyasha was going to come back – he had to – and nothing would go wrong.

Absolutely nothing.

Ha. As if.

There was a small restaurant that Shippo had found when he got off the highway. It was quite the drive away but all we had right now was time. "So where is this car of yours? I didn't see it in the parking lot."

"That's because it's hidden in a forest," I replied, trying not to wince. Yeah, I almost forgot about that. "Also, I may not be able to find it."

"What?" Shippo looked at me as if I was crazy. "What do you mean you might not be able to find it? You lost it in the forest?"

It was a long story. Not only that, but I hadn't even mentioned Inuyasha fully and I couldn't wait to get that reaction. "I may have to start at the beginning."

Shippo did this half-frown thing that he normally did when he was pensive, his green eyes landing on me. "I knew I should have checked in on you more."

"Hey, who's the older one here?" I demanded, trying not to be too offended.

"By four years," the redhead reminded me. "So where does this beginning start, and is breakfast going to be enough time?"

I smacked his arm lightly. "Trust me, I'm going to give you the CliffsNotes version, otherwise you'll be here for longer than a week." There was another one of those looks again and I sighed. "It may have started late September."

"_May_ have started?"

"It was around that time," I added. "I was working a case – Gorgon bitches, actually – when I was approached by a half-demon." I waited. The first bombshell of the night was in that first sentence. It was only a matter of seconds now.

Shippo rolled his eyes at me. "If you don't want to tell me, then give me a CliffsNotes version of the CliffsNotes version. Don't start using demon slayer code to confuse me."

"I'm not." I paused, letting the weight sink in. "I mean a literal half-demon, half-human creature." I reached out for the steering wheel, lightly touching it. It was a good thing too, because Shippo literally dropped everything to stare at me in disbelief. We didn't need to die just yet. "I'm not lying to you."

"The hell you aren't!"

"Watch your language," I scoffed, "and watch the road!" Shippo seemed to get with the program, finally taking control back again and remaining silent. I took it as a signal to go on. "His name is Inuyasha–"

"_Is_ Inuyasha, as in, _not dead_?"

"At this rate, we'll be dead before I finish," I said, trying for a joke but not getting anywhere. Shippo didn't look too amused. "_Yes,_ as in _not dead_. I didn't kill him, or couldn't really. Not a first. Half-demons don't react like full-demons do to our traditional methods. Salt bothers him at times, but only in large doses. He can walk in and out of the devil's trap with only a wince of acknowledgement. I couldn't purify him because his heart wasn't black; it's more like it's tainted with it. I'm stronger now, so I can kill him if I wanted to – and I almost did a couple times – but…he's a friend."

"A friend." Shippo raised a brow at me suspiciously. "I bet he's attractive or something stupid like that."

"He is n–" Well, no, actually he was. Dammit. "That's not the point at all. If you want the very short version, we're friends and we've been travelling together for months. He wasn't in the car with me when it happened but an angel tried to kill me so I would stay on the righteous path or _whatever_ and my car was totalled in the process so Inuyasha had come and saved me, hid the car, took me to the hospital, and so on. He remembers where it is but I don't and the only way–"

"And _angel_?"

…We were going to be awhile.

* * *

The great thing about Shippo was that his youth left him a lot more open-minded. He knew there were things out there he hadn't yet seen, and all he needed was my word to know that it was the truth. Half-demons existed – how, I still wasn't sure of the actual biological processing. Angels existed, for all the use they were.

I explained the same simple story several times, and each time Shippo seemed to get it more and more. When he was in the middle of devouring a pancake – his fifth so far – he looked up at me with gleaming eyes. "So if that's the short version, what happened in between to make it so long?"

Ha. HA!

"Maybe when you're of the legal drinking age and if I'm still alive and functional we'll have this conversation," I mumbled, taking a stab at the fruit on my plate. "Until then, nope."

"You're really no fun," Shippo whined.

"Come on, I don't want to talk about me until I'm eighty. What about you? You said you stopped demon hunting, that's excellent!"

Shippo gave me a look that let me know the previous conversation was nowhere near forgotten, but he swallowed his pancakes and nodded. "Yeah. I've settled down, gotten a job doing a lot of odd work for a couple of guys. I'm still young so they're not letting me do anything crazy, but they're a lot happier without the grunt work." He grinned then. "I also work at a bar."

"Oh god," I groaned, hiding my face in my hands. "I hope you're only doing the grunt work there too." Shippo laughed before turning bright red, averting his gaze and stuffing more pancakes into his mouth. I watched the reaction, confused for a moment before it slowly sunk in. "You're embarrassed about something." I judged his reaction then too, seeing as to how he got a little redder with each passing second. His freckles started to blend in with the rest of his face, his long mop of hair making him look even more ridiculous. What boy would be embarrassed about working in a bar? Unless… "Oh, you have a crush on someone!" I cooed, reaching over and grabbing his cheek.

"Hey! Stop that!" Shippo swatted my hand away, but he didn't get any less red. "There isn't anyone! I'm just there to do the…work."

I grinned slowly, letting the fun of this conversation persist and make Shippo even more uncomfortable. "Oh my _god_, you're such a teenager. Seriously, you like a girl and freaked out because I said _grunt work_ and you thought – _Oh my god._" I burst out laughing, slamming my hand down on the table. I had almost forgotten how awesome it was to be a kid, and how the raging hormones made one's mind a terribly dirty gutter.

"Kagome, shh!" Shippo's green eyes were wide now. "You're going to tell the world with that volume!"

"Just the restaurant folk," I teased, my laughter subsiding anyways. "Oh you're just the cutest thing ever." Shippo ducked his head at that and I smiled. "Any girl would be lucky to have you, although grunting is kind of a turn off. Why men think it's so manly–"

"I'm never going to live through this," Shippo whined and I laughed all the more.

* * *

With breakfast done and my car undetectable, Shippo and I decided to hang around.

The motel was literally in the middle of nowhere, but by the restaurant had a nearby town with a small park. Shippo threw me a scarf and gloves from the back to bundle me up some more before we played in the snow, running around and doing childish things that reminded us of the good old times and kept our bodies warm.

It was rather short-lived, even though we tried our hardest to stay outside. The cold was really starting to set in and even though snow had yet to fall, I held little hope it would hold off for much longer. We drove back to the motel and watched television in said, playing an old movie that was quite awful and making fun of it instead. We skipped lunch in favour for raiding the outside vending machine for candy.

We had lapsed into comfortable silence, watching the images on the screen flash by as we settled against the unmade bed. Suddenly Shippo turned around to face me, looking far too curious for my own good. "So where is this Inuyasha? Is he here?"

"No," I answered, debating between what exactly I should try to explain. "He had to…do something."

"Ah." Shippo looked down at the bed, his eyes narrowing. "You have separate rooms right?"

I rolled my eyes, because seriously? "Yes." So what if he happened to stay in _this_ bed last night? We did have separate rooms. "His is next door."

"Will he come and say hi when he's back?" Shippo asked.

I laughed. Come and say hi? From the reactions I had gotten from Inuyasha so far regarding Shippo, I wasn't entirely sure _what_ the half-demon would do. "He'd definitely come by."

The redhead nodded, seeming to confuse my laughter for something far more innocent. "When will he be back? I've never met a half-demon before."

"I don't think anyone has," I pointed out. When Shippo continued to give me an imploring look, I sighed. "And I don't know when. He didn't tell me."

"Why not?"

"Because we don't tell each other everything." HA again. _Understatement of the year_, _thank you very much_.

I could tell the teen wanted to say more, but I threw a leftover chocolate bar at him and distracted him. It wasn't long though before the inevitable happened.

And when I say inevitable, I always mean it in a bad, bad way. Because let's be realistic people, when has anything that's ever happened been truly a blessing? Especially the inevitable stuff. That's the shit that's hard.

At first it was dull, a barely-there noise that had me frowning for a long moment as it got louder. I cursed, getting off of the bed and grabbing my gun, checking and only have two bullets left. It was careless of me not to have taken care of it in a while, but now wasn't the time for self-lectures.

"What's going on?" Shippo asked, standing up too after seeing me reach for the weapon. "Demons?"

"One of them, yeah," I answered, frowning. It was getting closer at a faster rate of speed, which in itself was extremely strange. It was accelerating, almost like a car would. "Stay here."

He didn't listen – of course he didn't listen – but I pushed the thought aside as I opened the motel room door and tried to pinpoint where on my radar the demon was coming from. It seemed to be from along the highway, by more towards the large open field beside it than the actual road. I squinted my eyes, trying to see what may be coming.

"Kagome?"

"I can't–"

"Up!"

Shippo's shout had me turning my brown eyes upwards, barely catching the sight of something falling – something that looked an awful lot like two bodies.

"You said stay back," I said firmly, holstering my gun in my pants before taking off at a run. My demon radar was screaming, loud and ferocious in my mind as I jumped over the parking lot fence and into the field. Something cold was pushing at me to run faster, to get there quicker.

It might have something to do with the fallen bodies from the sky.

It had a lot more to do with the fact that in the split second I watched the bodies fall, I caught the unmistakable glint of silver and black.

* * *

**Feedback is love!**


	33. Oh Brother

_**Author's Note:** Day 6 of the Twelve Days of Witchyness. Even though, technically it's Day 8. But WHATEVER. I shall catch up. Only partially edited, sorry! I think I'm going to need a beta to read all of this from the beginning :( Ugh._

**_Disclaimer:_**_ I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story._

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Three: Oh Brother**

* * *

"_Anything goes but don't blink you might miss, 'cause Heaven ain't close in a place like this. I said Heaven ain't close in a place like this. Bring it back down, bring it back down tonight. Never thought I'd let a rumour ruin my moonlight."_

_-Somebody Told Me, The Killers_

* * *

The closer I got, the more terrified I became. A man with long silver hair stood over a body and I had the sickest feeling in my gut that it was Inuyasha. I ran faster, getting even closer, not knowing exactly what I'd do the moment I got there. Get out my gun and shoot? Purify? _Tackle the fucking thing_?

"You bastard!" That was Inuyasha, his voice was unmistakeable. "Get the fuck off of me!"

I couldn't hear the response, if there even was any. The sound of grass crunching under my feet as I ran blocked it out, or maybe it was my heavy breathing. All I know is that the moment I got close enough to see Inuyasha's pressed down body there was a blur of movement. Suddenly, I was on the ground, pain searing in my chest before it was gone.

"You motherfucker, don't you _dare_ touch her!"

I coughed, rolling as fast as I could to get up. Shippo was there, his arms around my shoulder as he tried to heave me up. "What was that?"

"I don't know; another demon I think. It's fast, Kagome. I didn't even see it attack you until it was too late," Shippo exclaimed. I could hear the fear in his voice, and when I turned my head to look at him the emerald orbs were stuck on my chest. "You're bleeding."

That figured. "Inuyasha!" I screamed, getting my gun and raising it. Precious seconds in and I realized it was useless, all I could see were dancing blurs, the bending of the long grass as bodies fell and twisted. "Dammit," I hissed.

"You need medical attention, come on, let's _go_," Shippo urged, trying to pull me back towards the motel. I stumbled with him but didn't let it get any further.

"I can't, Inuyasha's here." Giving my gun to Shippo, I raised my hand in the direction of the blurs. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to do this, if it was even remotely possible. I could feel them though, the two hearts beating rapidly in the distance. There were two of them, but only one was completely black, destroyed with demon blood. It was hard to focus but I tried to make the connection, draw the heart stings with whatever kind of curse this was. I waited, trying harder, gasping when I felt it – a connection. I tugged hard and fast, making the strings stronger as I drew the demon to me, the demon heart…

"Kagome, stop dammit!"

My hand was forcibly shoved down, the connection instantly breaking. I looked up to see golden eyes, and Inuyasha stared at me with a look of half-wonder, half-frustration. "Where is it? Why did you stop me _again, _you asshole!"

"It's the human blood that makes him weak." The voice was cold, calculated and deep, making me shiver before I suddenly couldn't breathe. Hands were around my neck, clenching tighter and I gasped, desperate for air.

Shippo screamed. "Kagome!" A gunshot rang out, loudly and piercing in the night. Whatever it did, whatever it hit, I still couldn't breathe. I couldn't get my hands around whatever was choking me. My blood was pumping loudly in my ears, and each scrape of breath was like a scream in my mind. I thought I heard another click of the gun, but there was a groan before anything else happened.

"I said not to _fucking touch her_," Inuyasha growled, and then I was let go of, my body being turned and twisted with arms locked around me. I had no collection of where I was, my feet stumbling in the grass until I fell, landing with a groan as the other body fell on top of me. I couldn't catch any air, struggling to break free before I was killed.

"I knew you were stupid before but this really takes it," the cold voice returned. "Feelings for not only a human but a _slayer_."

"You can rot in Hell, thanks," Inuyasha spat, and I looked up just in time for him to roll off of me, standing in front of another demon. "You're fucking lucky I saved your ass!"

"My ass, as you so delicately put it, didn't need saving."

Inuyasha growled, lunging forwards and there was more dancing blurs, barely noticeable from my position on the ground.

I stood up, taking several steps back, feeling for my gun but realizing I had given it to... "Shippo!" The redhead was on the ground, seemingly unconscious and I ran to him, heart pounding. Holy fuck, what was happening? "Shippo, come on!" I moved his head, his eyes never opening. I felt for a pulse, feeling the strong steady beat of his heart. Nothing but relief washed over me, and I nearly choked with it. "Thank god."

"I know why you're here, so you can stop with trying to kill me you fucker," Inuyasha spat, the sound of his voice almost ragged.

I turned, staring at Inuyasha and the demon before him, and I realized with a sick horror that whoever the demon was looked exactly like Inuyasha did. Not entirely, but enough to put together that they had to be related. The demon was an inch or so taller, with long silver locks like Inuyasha's used to be. His eyes were hard to see, but I could tell they were golden, darkened by the night sky. There were markings on his face, claws on his finger tips, and he looked to be the epitome of ruthlessness. "Inuyasha, you better fucking explain," I screamed, pissed off and worried for Shippo's safety.

"Yes Inuyasha, explain," the demon taunted, face a dead mask but sounding almost mocking. It was hard to tell, his face never changed.

"This bastard is Sesshomaru," the half-demon said finally, growling as he shoved away from the demon. "My bastard of a half-brother."

_Half-brother? _Jesus Christ. "You're shitting me." I paused, listening to the sound of my demon radar shrieking in my mind. Inuyasha had never set mine off, which meant… A full demon?

Sesshomaru's cold gaze turned to me, not quite glaring, but I wasn't sure what else to call it. "I've heard of you."

"Fan-fucking-tastic. You and the rest of demons in existence. What are you doing here?" I yelled, standing back up and shielding Shippo. Whoever had knocked him out was going to be purified in next minute.

"She's annoying." Sesshomaru was still looking at me, but was clearly speaking to Inuyasha, who rolled his eyes. "But you must see something for your scent to be all over her like two-dollar bathroom cologne."

"_What_?" I screeched, raising my hand on instinct. I didn't have the gun – I couldn't see it around Shippo – but it was probably somewhere in the long grass.

Inuyasha blocked my way, and I couldn't see the expression on his face but his voice sounded murderous. "I know exactly why you're here. You have five seconds. _Go_."

Sesshomaru stared dully down at the half-demon. "Pathetic," he murmured, looking out towards the motel. "As if you'd have the authority to demand anything from me. Do yourself a favour: stop pretending for your bitch over there."

Inuyasha chuckled, and I didn't see what the fuck was so funny. "Right, so you're not here about Ryukotsusei then, even though he is Naraku's new boy toy."

The demon didn't say anything. I frowned, remembering the name that came off of Kagura's lips earlier. If anyone was a bitch, it was her. "You know him?"

"No," Sesshomaru answered. "Not personally." He took two steps closer to Inuyasha, until they were practically in each other's space. "And you would be smart to back off."

"You'd be smart to take your head out of your ass and do something for fucking once," Inuyasha snapped. He didn't step back, didn't back down. "You're just as pissed off as I am, so stop acting like a bastard and do something about it. Ryukotsusei is the way in, and you know it. It's killing two birds with one stone." Inuyasha stopped, crossing his arms and turning a bit so that I could now see the expression on his face. It was carefully constructed, but there was something lurking underneath that made all the difference. "I'll even let you kill him."

For the longest time, Sesshomaru said nothing. The older demon was blank, but by this point I didn't expect it to change. The guy seemed to be like a moving block of ice. You could practically cut the tension in the air with a knife, nothing to be heard but my own soft pants and the cold night air.

"You won't get him, so there's not point," Sesshomaru said finally. "You're too affected by weak human emotion to get the man that murdered our father. He'd kill you first."

I watched as Inuyasha's muscles clenched, rippling through his body like a shockwave. I myself held my breath, because _father_? It had to be their point of relation between the two of them, and if Inuyasha was half-demon then his mother was human. Again, the whole concept of half-demons was impossible – yet, there Inuyasha stood. There was still a lot I didn't know, probably no one would know.

"I need to kill Naraku, you know it. Ryukotsusei is going to have to be dead for me to have that chance," Inuyasha said, still firm, still holding his ground.

The silver-haired demon rolled his eyes, turning around and looking to the sky. "If that ever happens, just maybe we'll meet again. I won't count on it though."

Just as fast as he had fallen from the sky, I watched as Sesshomaru disappeared, jumping into the night. It was a blur of grey in the darkness and I ran forward, my shoulders hitting the half-demon. "You're going to let him _go_? What the fuck was this entire thing even about?" I yelled, turning to smack him.

"It always happens," Inuyasha replied, not even glancing at me. His golden eyes were focused on the sky. "We haven't killed each other yet."

My mind was exploding. "And he's your _brother_?"

Inuyasha's head snapped to mine then. "_Half-_brother, for fuck's sake get it right."

"This…" I had no words. "This defies all logic on demons I previously had. Just letting you know. You and your half-brother have fucked up everything."

There was that stupid smirk, all smug and _stupid_. I was going to kill him. "I'm glad. Now come on, the bastard's not coming back, at least for a while. Let's go."

"WHAT?" I screamed, slapping him again. "No! You can't just do that! You fell out of a fucking sky with your fucking half-brother! You tried to kill each other and I almost got killed!" I pointed to my stomach, and while I couldn't feel the pain, I knew it was the adrenaline running through my veins. It was going to be a bitch after. "Do you _see this_? And for fuck's sake, who is _Ryukotsusei_? And don't you goddamn just take off again. I will purify your ass _so fast_ you won't know what hit you!" I was panting I was so angry. "_AND WHAT HAPPENED TO SHIPPO?_"

Inuyasha took a step back, hands up in the air defensively. "You need to calm down."

"I need to _kill_ you for your stupidity is what I need to do!" I retorted. "You just ran off on me and I didn't know if you were coming backing!" My heart was pounding. This shit couldn't be good for me. "Goddammit."

"I was always coming back," Inuyasha said softly, staring at me with a look of surprise. "I had to find Sesshomaru because that's why he was coming to see me. He found out about Ryukotsusei. Before we started fighting, we actually shared a few words."

"And thanks for telling me!" I whipped around on my heel , stalking over to Shippo. He was still unconscious, and even as I kneeled down to check his pulse and breathing, he definitely wasn't waking up anytime soon. "What happened here?"

"Sesshomaru."

I glared at the half-demon then. "Really? So while choking me he also managed to take out Shippo? And what were you doing?"

A growl was rippling from the back of this throat. "You want the truth? He was shooting wild! The little shit was going to shoot you."

"The little–" I cut myself off. "He's a good shot Inuyasha!"

"Not from what I witnessed," Inuyasha snarled back. "I saved your life. What the hell is this thing even doing here?"

"Thing? _Thing?_" I wasn't going to take this anymore. I bent back over, trying to figure out how the hell I was going to bring Shippo back to the motel room. I couldn't carry him. There was no way it was going to happen. I sat down hard, glaring at the spot above Shippo's head.

"What are you doing wench?"

I didn't answer. Fuck him.

"You're not going to talk to me?"

"I'm _mad at you,_ thank you very much!" I screamed. "And I can't carry back Shippo so I'll just stay out here."

I wasn't sure what happened, but all I heard was an exaggerated huff and a low thump. It was followed by silence. Not turning around, I groaned. "You're sitting behind me, aren't you?"

"You're being unreasonable," Inuyasha said as a way of answering. "What has you so pissed off? Is it actually because I left? Because I don't believe that."

"Fine, that's not _all_ that I'm mad about," I started, feeling a headache coming on. My stomach was slowly starting to throb, the adrenaline wearing off. Couldn't I have one night of peace and quiet? "You didn't tell me about Ryukotsusei."

"I learned the same time you did!" Inuyasha exclaimed. "How could I have kept it from you?"

Oh god, I wanted to go to bed. "I never said that. My problem is that instead of explaining to me who the demon was, you left me in the dark again. And then you _physically_ left. I'm tired of being the last to know shit. If you're going to be here, I can't be wandering around blind. You're not helping me."

There was another huff, and soon Inuyasha was sitting beside me, looking down at Shippo. "Sorry." He winced, finger poking at Shippo's leg. "I'll carry him back to the room."

Sighing, I nodded and stood up. There was nothing else I could do. "He gets to punch you if he wants when he wakes up," I muttered. "How hard did you hit him?"

"Not that hard," Inuyasha grumbled. "He'll live."

I watched as the half-demon carried him off towards the motel, staying behind until I located my gun. It was definitely late out, probably close to midnight as I stumbled into the door and saw Inuyasha stripping his shirt off in my room. Heading towards the bathroom, I paused at the mirror. I needed to wrap the cuts on my stomach, even though I think the bleeding wasn't so- _Wait._

I ran out back into the room. "What are you doing in here?" I exclaimed, staring at his shirtless form. And that wasn't fair. Really universe. Not fair.

"Isn't it obvious?" Inuyasha flopped down onto his side of the bed – _no, no just a side _– and groaned.

Bastard.

"Get out of my room!" I shouted, walking up and poking him. "Where did you put Shippo, in yours?"

"There are fresh sheets!" Inuyasha looked at me pitifully with one sleepy eye. "Besides, he's young and it's creepy. I can't protect your virtue if I'm in the other room."

"I'm a lot more worried about you than–" Stopping myself, I took a deep breath. "Why do I bother?"

"Exactly, now hurry the hell up and turn off the lights wench!" Inuyasha yelled, half of the sentence muffled by his pillow as he burrowed down into it.

"I'll have you know that you need to wake up every couple hours to make sure he doesn't fall into a coma."

"Fine," the half-demon muttered. "Now _lights_."

I was still going to kill him. Maybe in his sleep. "Bite me, dog boy."

* * *

The next morning was definitely the most awkward thing ever.

Shippo was glaring at me. Inuyasha was glaring at Shippo.

I was glaring at my food.

The only sound you could hear was the sound of toast crunching. We were at some diner for breakfast, but Shippo looked less than pleased when he saw the half-demon trail out of my room. He was even less pleased when he realized that Inuyasha was the one that had, in fact, hit him.

I gave him aspirin and water, trying to be considerate to both. I was still on Shippo's side, but Inuyasha had woken up partially on top of me and it wasn't my fault that he was so hot. I may have stayed in bed an extra five minutes.

May have.

To make matters worse, Shippo asked to talk to me in private. It was a short conversation consisting of "what the hell are you thinking?" Inuyasha heard, obviously, because he's half-demon. He's been growling like a dog with a bone ever since.

"So Inuyasha can take us to my car," I said, breaking the tense silence. "He knows where it is."

Shippo nodded. "Great." If he thought I wouldn't have picked up on the sarcasm he was dead wrong.

"Great," Inuyasha mimicked, rolling his eyes.

Oh god.

"Really, are you that immature?" Shippo asked, his emerald eyes piercing into Inuyasha's golden ones. "What are you, a child?"

"I'm not the one having a temper tantrum in the middle of a diner," Inuyasha pointed out. "Stop whining and let's get the damn car fixed."

"Fine by me." Shippo looked towards me, trying to put on a small smile. "It'll be just like last time, huh?"

Oh god, no.

Please.

"Last time?" Of course Inuyasha had to take the bait. Of course he did. He was like the Little Puppy That Could.

"Shippo's fixed my car on several occasions," I tried to explain reasonably. "Believe it or not, more than simply angels like to destroy my car."

"It's was an awesome couple of weeks," Shippo added, grinning. "We were at that beach…what was it called?"

Why? Why was this happening to me?

"Manatoulin," I answered. "And you are not helping." I tried to look stern, but I'm pretty sure the redhead ignored me to look at Inuyasha.

"We swam a lot," Shippo added, grinning. "Have you two ever done anything fun together?"

If Inuyasha was a literal dog, his hackles would be so fucking high right now. I swear he was vibrating. "What are you trying to say? That I–"

"Breakfast is over!" I screamed, getting the attention of probably the entire diner. Lovely. I clapped my hands. "Inuyasha, here's the credit card. Go and pay."

Golden eyes stared daggers at me but I ignored it, getting up and all but dragging Shippo by his jacket outside. There were two others out there, smoking around the corner and talking quietly among themselves. I almost felt bad because this conversation? Wasn't going to be so quiet. "What are you doing?" I hissed. "I get that you're mad at him for hitting you. I told you to punch him but you wouldn't. Now you're trying to piss him off purposely and I don't know why."

Shippo rolled his eyes at me. "You two shared a room. Of course I'm going to piss him off," the redhead replied. "It's like little brother duty. First you hate the guy, then you piss him off to make him hate you, and then you eventually come to some sort of silent truce during the course of a couple years."

"Oh good, because you think what, we're in a relationship?" I groaned. "There was a line that we did not cross on that bed Shippo. We were on opposite, non-touching ends." _Bullshit_. "Nothing is going on."

"Right, that's why he didn't get all possessive and strange," Shippo drawled out, grinning. His freckles made it even more adorable and I couldn't stay mad at him.

Dammit.

"Can we get through this day in one piece? Please?"

When Inuyasha came stomping out, I figured the chances were less than zero.

* * *

"Here." Shippo sounded dubious, stepping on sticks and strange leaves as they walked through the forest. "Your car is hidden in here? How the hell are we supposed to get it out?"

"The same way we got it in there," Inuyasha snarled. "By picking it up." Shippo blinked for a moment, and yeah, I could agree. I hadn't seen Inuyasha pick up my goddamn car yet either. It would be fascinating to watch. "I wouldn't be able to carry it all the way to the motel though in one run."

"And you call yourself part demon," I replied, watching his body do this odd twitching thing. Again, his hackles were raised. It was almost fun, if I didn't have to deal with his attitude. "I'm teasing."

"Funny." Inuyasha didn't sound happy, and great. I pissed him off now. It was bad enough when Shippo was the one on his nerves. If I couldn't become his reason for calm, then we were possibly all doomed. "Here it is, right under there."

There was a lot more foliage on it than last time, but my heart still broke a little when I recognized the heap. My poor car. It was the love of my life. Gently I took off the leaves and sticks, letting Inuyasha deal with anything heavier while Shippo examined it. The poor bent frame, the broken glass, the damaged front with the bumper obliterated.

"Uh, Kagome?" Shippo didn't sound too good. "You want me to fix this?"

I nodded. Well, obviously.

Shippo walked around the car a solid three times, checking things out and examining the many bends where there shouldn't be bends. "I don't know if I can."

My heart stopped. "What do you mean you don't know if you can?"

"I mean, this is a lot of serious damage," Shippo amended, stopping to turn seriously towards me. "I'm going to have to replace most of this car, and the frame…" He winced. "It would take me a month, maybe more depending on parts. Your whole front is destroyed and I haven't even looked at the engine yet."

"A whole month?" I couldn't believe this. Taking a step forward, I touched the scratched paint. "You're kidding me."

The redhead looked at me sympathetically. "I'm really sorry Kagome, but the cost of even fixing this is virtually worth getting another one."

"But- But it's my _car_," I argued, rather pathetically. "What am I supposed to do? I can't afford to get it completely redone."

I didn't want to hear the next words. "You should get another one," Shippo murmured, putting his arm around my shoulders. "I'm really sorry."

"_Okay_, we get it. You're sorry," Inuyasha cut in, rather sharply. "What do we do now?" I could've sworn Inuyasha's golden eyes were narrowed at the spot where Shippo's hand touched my jacket.

"Well, I'd get another one," Shippo said honestly, speaking to Inuyasha but looking at me. "I do…I have something that you might like. It used to belong to someone else but the guy asked me to fix it up and then never came back." His face twisted a bit, like he didn't want to admit it. "Officially, no one knows where he is anyways. I haven't heard from him in months."

"What's the rumour?" I asked, half-heartedly. This was a disaster. A fucking nightmare and a half.

"Dead."

Inuyasha sighed. "So we have to go back to your place then I guess? Where the hell is that, even?"

"New Haven, Connecticut," Shippo replied. "It's not that bad of a drive, and my truck's not that small. We'll put your stuff in the back and we can drive over after lunch. We'd be there around dinner."

For a long moment there was silence. I was staring forlornly at my car, still noticing the way Inuyasha shifted across from me. I could tell he was still staring at Shippo's damn hand, and I was torn about yelling at him. Goddammit, Shippo was like a younger brother. Did he have to get so riled up about nothing?

_Possessive_ is what Shippo called him earlier. I hated it when he was right, and he generally was.

Which was why I knew that I had to let my Corvette go.

"Let's leave then," I whispered. Everything was already out of the car, retrieved when Inuyasha and I went back the first time. It made it almost sadder.

Suddenly Inuyasha was in my space, looking down at me with eyes I couldn't decipher. Shippo had stepped back, his arm dropping as he turned to leave.

I didn't miss, however, Inuyasha's warm hand on the lower part of my back. Possession was a strange thing.

* * *

Inuyasha was putting up a fight. "No."

"Dammit Inuyasha, I'm not going to ask you again!" I yelled, pointing at the open car door. "Get inside now!"

He was stubborn, and his crossed arms did nothing to diminish that. If anything, it made him worse. "No. I told you, I'll follow behind you."

"For the love of god, _why_?"

Shippo rolled his green eyes. This had been going on a while. "Kagome, let him do what he wants." He smiled then, shrugging. "It'll give us the chance to catch up, talk about old times."

The half-demon narrowed his eyes.

"Of course we'll do that," I replied. Maybe Shippo was on to something. "But it would be easier if Inuyasha didn't fight me every step of the way."

"I'm not getting in. I know the address; I was there when Shippo told you. It's faster for me to run."

I screamed in frustration. "Why are you so difficult?" I yelled, irritated. "Get in the damn truck!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"There's nothing you can do. Try moving me, I dare you."

"Dog boy, I swear to _god_–"

The roar of an engine made me stop, halting me mid-sentence as Shippo stared pointed at me. "Let's go. He'll be fine. I'm sure."

Inuyasha growled at that. I'm not sure what part of Shippo's statement had him upset though. Of course, knowing the half-demon, it could merely be his general presence.

"Fine," I snapped, glaring in golden eyes. "For the record, you're in the doghouse."

"Wow, wasn't like I was ever _out_."

He- The- God- _He. Infuriated. Me._

Getting into the truck, I slammed the door shut and huffed. "Son of a bitch."

Putting his arm around my shoulder and tugging me closer to him, Shippo laughed loudly. "It's a little sad how much you bicker like an old married couple."

I clamped my mouth shut. Statements like that were going to make me say mean things. "You're lucky I like you."

Letting go of me, Shippo shifted the truck into gear and took off. "You know he's mad because he doesn't like the attention you give me, right?"

"That's not it," I muttered. What were we, two years old and pulling pigtails to show our love? "He's been difficult like this the entire time, before you even arrived."

"Sure he was." I didn't have to look at the freckled-face to know that Shippo was rolling his eyes again. It seemed to be a horrible habit. "So you and him never got together, huh?"

"Nope."

"Not once."

"Not once," I confirmed. Shippo sighed, and I was almost grateful that Inuyasha had knocked him out the other night with Sesshomaru. If he had heard what the older demon had said, this conversation would be very different and very awkward. Because discussing this with Shippo? Weird. He was like a little brother, someone I helped to raise and wanted to protect. He was absolutely, positively the last person I would go to for love problems though.

"Then he probably needs to get laid."

"I am not having this discussion with you," I said as a way of answering. "In my eyes, you are still a child and don't even know what sex is. Stop talking please."

Shippo grinned.

* * *

Of course, everything went to hell when we actually got to Shippo's place. I was literally not even touching the inside handle to the car door when Inuyasha was there, practically ripping it open.

"We have to go, now," he said briskly, grabbing my arm and hauling me out.

"Excuse me?" I demanded, blinking my eyes quickly. Shippo had woken me up about twenty minutes ago since we were almost there. I wasn't exactly functioning at the current moment.

Inuyasha growled exaggeratedly. "Since it took you so damn long I had to wait. I was watching the news and there's a demon on the loose. I think it may be connected with Naraku."

I shook my head, processing. "Where the hell did you watch the news?"

"That's what you got?" Inuyasha sounded incredulous. "In a bar, pub, whatever. Now _come on_, we need to check it out. The crime scene is ten minutes from here if I carry you."

I slapped Inuyasha's hand away, taking a step back. "What case? Look, last time you did this you already knew what was secretly going on. I don't trust this, not when I'm barely awake."

"Barely awake?" Inuyasha repeated. "You were sleeping?"

Shippo spoke for the first time since we got there. I really, really wished that he hadn't. "My lap is pretty comfortable."

"You son of–"

"_Enough_!" I shouted, pushing at Inuyasha's shoulder so the half-demon would focus on me. I would have to yell at Shippo later for saying such utter crap. He was not helping the situation, and it was annoying as fuck. "Look, you said you watch it on the news right? Well can we go see it first?"

Inuyasha growled. "Fine, yes. Christ, can we just go?"

I nodded, holding my hand out when Shippo made a move to follow. "No, not you too."

"What?" the redhead exclaimed, not pleased. "Why not?"

"You two can't play nice, and since Inuyasha is the one that found the news, he has to come to show me," I explained. "You brought this on yourself."

Shippo pouted, looking a little resentfully at Inuyasha. "Alright. Call me if you need anything, okay?"

"Don't worry I will." I let Inuyasha lead me off, noticing his hand was on my back _again_. "You can stop you know," I pointed out. "Shippo's not looking."

Black hair nearly whipped me in the face when Inuyasha snapped his head to look at me. "Stop what?"

_Oh_. I paused, realizing that Inuyasha was maybe doing the whole thing subconsciously. I thought before it was merely to piss off Shippo. It still could be that, but if he was clueless. "Never mind." It's not like I minded it.

"It'll be faster if I run," Inuyasha said, grabbing my arms before I could comment and hauling me onto his back. He took off before I could even _yell_ at him, the wind hitting my face and making me freeze. This jacket wasn't exactly top quality. I hugged my arms around his neck, trying to bury my face in the hair at his nape. At least it was warmer there.

I could hear music before we even stopped, the sound of some classic rock band humming through speakers. I felt warm air suddenly as Inuyasha stepped inside, and I shifted until Inuyasha put me down, taking in the scene. The pub was pretty full, with tables covered in wings and booze. There were a few guys playing pool in one corner, darts in another. Televisions were all over, but three hung around the bar. It seemed like there were three different channels playing on all of the televisions, two with commercials and one playing some sort of sports game. I couldn't be bothered to tell which.

Inuyasha wasn't looking at either of them though. His golden eyes were focused on a small one in a corner, where not many tables were. A large speaker sat right beside it, drowning out whatever was being said. I could see though that it was some sort of multi-purpose news channel, showing the weather, sports highlights and a tiny little window for news with a ticker underneath.

"We should go back to Shippo's," I stated, nudging him lightly with my elbow. "We'd get–"

"There."

Inuyasha shoved me towards the television, pointing as the miniature box on the top left corner rolled some sort of earlier footage. A woman was speaking into a microphone, relaying details I couldn't hear. I could read the bottom ticker though, and it was about some sort of homicide investigation in Bridgeport.

"You can't hear it, but I can. The death was mysterious, no indication for struggle or restraint, and as far as they can tell no sedation. Police aren't commenting, but the victim was found stabbed seventy-two times all over his body."

"Seventy-two…" I frowned. The number was important somehow, but Inuyasha continued before I could think further.

"Last time they showed a view of the house– There." Inuyasha pointed to the screen. "See the symbol?"

It remained for only a moment, but I definitely caught sight of it. And I knew exactly what it was for. "Fuck," I muttered. If this was tied with Naraku, we were in some serious trouble.

The screen suddenly changed back to a view of the reporter, and with him, a cop.

I froze, my feet moving on their own accord as I raced towards the television. This wasn't possible; I had to be seeing things.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Inuyasha asked, and from here I could barely hear him, the music too loud right by the speaker. But hearing wasn't important right now. Seeing was.

And what I saw was fucking impossible.

Because it couldn't be.

Those big brown eyes said a whole hell of a lot different.

"Souta…"

* * *

_**Comments to Acknowledge**_

_3lue3utterfly: _Hmm... Well you may get your wish sooner than you think ;) Hope you liked it, and thank you, as always dear!

_Nepenthec: _Aww, yay for the heart strings! Sesshomaru wasn't featured all that much, but he _definitely_ comes back. Promise!

_Jaybell: _Thank you hun! I'm so glad you liked it :)

* * *

_Feedback is always appreciated! I'm going to catch up, I swear *goes back to write*_


	34. Some Sort of Show

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Four: Some Sort of Show**

* * *

"_That little Devil on my shoulder says, 'I'll make you do those things you did.' That little Devil on my shoulder screams, 'I think you've found your way.' So take your thoughts and run away from a God who ain't much of a know-it-all. So follow me and hold your breath, again 'till I say when. Did I say when? There's no way out for you. So just follow me, just follow me downhill. There's no way out for you. So just follow me, just follow me down."_

_-No Way Out, Theory of a Deadman_

* * *

My brother was in front of me, speaking to the reporter. He looked so different now, so much older. I watched him on the television, trying hard to pick out distinct features. He was stockier, his features relatively calm as he explained what he was allowed to.

When he disappeared from the screen, a part of me screamed. My hand slapped out at the television, trying to keep him there, to bring him back.

"Kagome?" Inuyasha sounded worried, but I couldn't focus on that now. Where did Souta go? Where was he? I listened to the reporter, trying to take every word she said in. It was difficult though, more difficult than I could imagine. The words sank in like little pin pricks, there before disappearing, leaving the tingling sensation behind. _Bridgeport_. The reporter looked grim._Homicide_. The camera angled towards the mass of police cars, their lights flashing. _Seventy-two_.

None of it was going to bring my brother back.

My eyes hurt, and it took a moment for me to realize that they were brimming with unshed tears. I pulled back. Souta was _there_, in that city so close to me. He must have moved, although when he had I wasn't sure. Where did that leave Momma? Was she still alive, still doing well? I was terrified to know, terrified to find out.

But Inuyasha was right, there was definitely a case.

"Alright, we'll go," I whispered, standing back and heading towards the door. I brushed past Inuyasha, making sure to not look at him. I wouldn't let him see me like this because my family was possibly the only vulnerable spot I had. I had been vulnerable once with him and I couldn't let that happen again.

"Kagome, what's going on?" His clawed hand was grabbing my wrist but he didn't stop me from moving. If anything he let me drag him along, out of the busy pub and out onto the cold street. I shivered, unable to tell exactly why. My head was a raging mess because my brother – my little brother – was a cop the city over. And– And the–

"The cop," I murmured. I couldn't even believe the words as they left my mouth. "That's my brother."

Inuyasha's hand was still wrapped tightly around my wrist. He stood there motionless before coming closer, whispering in my ear. "Your brother? Your actual brother was on the television?"

I blinked twice to get rid of the stupid brimming tears and then nodded. "Yeah, that's him alright." He looked exactly like our father. It was hard to imagine because I always figured he'd grow up to look just like Mom. The resemblance had been strong when he was a child but now… Now he was all grown up, built and his eyes… "Let's head back to Shippo's, figure out some information on the attack from any incoming news reports and then start fresh tomorrow morning."

"Kagome," Inuyasha started but I cut him off sharply.

"No, no talking about this. Nothing." I sent my glare to the ground, because as much as it pained me, this wasn't Inuyasha's fault.

Inuyasha soft puff of breath made me look back up, his golden eyes capturing me. "Fine," he whispered gently. "We'll go back but if you…" The words cut off, sounding foreign on his lips. "You know."

I couldn't smile at him but I nodded, reaching up awkwardly with my hand until it could brush against Inuyasha's fingers. He still had a death-grip on my wrist and it loosened somewhat, the claws dancing down towards my palm. Carefully his fingers intertwined with mine and I felt my chest tighten, the tears coming back to my eyes. Fuck this. Fuck all of this.

I squeezed his hand, taking the small comfort I knew he was trying to offer me. "Thanks," I murmured, letting Inuyasha pull me around so that I could get onto his back. My arms wound around his shoulders and I clung to him as he ran off, the wind whipping my hair around me. There was a moment when all I could think about was the fact that one city over, Souta was there. My little brother was alive and happy, a cop who cleaned the streets from the bad guys. How much did I want to bet that it was because of our father's death and my disappearance? What would I give to change that and to make him realize that I'm not actually dead, that the body they found wasn't actually me?

Every single pain my family felt was my fault.

If any tears fell, no one saw them.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

The moment the door opened to Shippo's house, Inuyasha knew there was going to be trouble. The redhead eyed Kagome who was still clinging to his back. The half-demon hadn't let her get down, wanting to make the transition as smooth as possible between the pub where she found her brother and here where he was planning on making her sleep. They still hadn't had any dinner yet but Inuyasha was positive that Kagome wouldn't exactly feel up to eating.

"Where is she sleeping?" he asked, staring at Shippo with a look that was as blank as he could make it. The way that the kid's green eyes narrowed at him slightly made his blood boil. He didn't like the clear accusation that was there, the way that this random person seemed to think he knew better about Kagome.

"It's this way, I'll show you." Shippo shut the door and then turned around, leading them down a small hallway. The house was narrow and the hallway barely fit Kagome's spread legs.

"I can walk you know," Kagome muttered, sounding far too tired. She was out of it, plain and simple and Inuyasha didn't want to have to deal with her when she couldn't function. "It's still early."

"You're going to pass out," Inuyasha replied, keeping his voice firm. He followed Shippo into a tiny spare bedroom, the sheets fresh and pulled back as the redhead started to arrange things. Slowly Inuyasha put her down on the bed, standing in front of her. "Why don't you have a nap while we get dinner going?"

The raven-haired beauty gave him a strange look – a mixture between confused and grateful, maybe even a bit of rage simmering underneath. Her dark brown eyes held too much emotion; too much that he wasn't used to. Kagome wasn't the girl that cried out loud. Everything she did tended to be on the inside, hard for everyone to reach.

"Humour me, will you?" Inuyasha pressed, rolling his eyes. "Shippo can live without your presence for an hour."

"It's not him I'm worried about." The slayer shook her head, a tiny crooked smile on her face as she turned to Shippo. "Are you sure you don't need me for anything?"

"Nap," the kid ordered, pointing a finger at her. "I'll bring you dinner when it's done."

The half-demon paused at the statement. "Or I will." Was that really necessary?

Kagome's strange look returned, but Inuyasha huffed and stepped out of the room, leaving the two of them to talk. He was surprised when footsteps followed behind him, Shippo slipping out through the door and letting it click quietly closed.

"We need to talk."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. No. No, they did not need to talk. If anyone needed to talk in this house, it was him and Kagome because shit was clearly hitting the fan. Jerking suddenly when his black hair was pulled, the half-demon whipped around incredulously at the redhead. "What the fuck is your problem?"

"We need to _talk_," Shippo hissed, motioning with his hand back down the hall.

"Not when you pull my hair like a two year old!" Inuyasha couldn't believe the fucking nerve of the kid. Who the hell did he think he was, bursting in on him and Kagome and disrupting practically everything? "We aren't talking. This here? It's done right now."

Green eyes landed squarely on him, Shippo stepping right up in Inuyasha's space to glare. The half-demon had to give it to the kid – he had balls at least. "If you care about her _at all_, you'll talk to me."

And Inuyasha could see it. Inuyasha could see what was glimmering in Shippo's eyes, the knowledge of events that the half-demon wasn't all that comfortable with. It was also the challenge that lurked there, the sense that this was a thing between two men, neither of whom gave a shit about the other but stood together for a worthwhile cause.

Kagome was definitely worthwhile.

It was why, in the end, Inuyasha followed the redhead towards the kitchen. The room could _hardly_ be called a kitchen – it was more like an indent with a fridge, oven, stove, microwave and a few cupboards crammed around. A very tiny island stood in the middle, kind of like a barrier to the living room.

Shippo went to it, leaning against the counter and taking a deep breath. "What's wrong with her?"

For a long, painful moment, Inuyasha didn't want to say a word. This was between him and Kagome and no one else. The problem was that _yes_, there was someone else. This kid knew Kagome and had known her for a least a while. He genuinely cared for her – annoying little brat or not – and she cared about him. Inuyasha didn't like him, but he could deal when it came to the slayer sleeping in the next room. "She saw her brother on television. He's a cop investigating the murder I thought was a case."

"Her brother?" Shippo blinked, opened his mouth to say more before closing it quickly. "Shit."

"How much do you know?"

"How much do you?" the kid countered, green eyes almost triumphant.

Inuyasha wasn't going to take that shit, not from this brat when Kagome was clearly the one that needed the both of them. His golden eyes looked down the hall, gesturing with his head. "You may have known her longer, but I know her _now_. If you don't want to help me, fine, but you could just end up making things worse if I don't know something and when we go tomorrow–"

"You're going?" Shippo frowned. "To where?"

"Bridgeport, where the murder happened and her brother is," Inuyasha replied, shaking his head. "It looks like his investigation is tied up with something demonic."

The redhead sighed, closing his eyes and looking a lot paler than before. "I don't know much," he admitted softly. "Kagome never really liked to talk about them to me. She'd always get too quiet and then she'd…" He shrugged, cheeks turning red.

"Drink?" Inuyasha wasn't surprised. The only reason he knew about her past was a particularly difficult and drunk encounter when he had visited Miroku and Sango for the first time at Boomerang's.

Shippo nodded, clearly hating it. "I've never seen her cry but I could see the tears brimming and…she's just not that person. Well, she _is_ but the world doesn't know it. She has this big bad gun always in front of her and some cruel comeback on her lips. The only people that know about her past are Sango and Miroku." His emerald eyes gazed up, reading the half-demon's face. "And you."

"I don't know everything," Inuyasha replied. "As you mentioned, she'd…" He flapped his hands, because he didn't need to spell it out again. "It's how I found out. All I know is that he thinks that she's dead. After demons killed her father she ran, but her mother and Souta kept searching and searching until a body finally showed up."

Shaking his head and covering his mouth, Shippo stared at the counter. "She's not okay."

"No she's not."

A small smile danced across Shippo's face, the kid looking up briefly before away. "Do you have to take this case? Can't you tell her not to do it?"

"I'd bet everything I have she'd listen to you before me," Inuyasha stated, unable to help the bitterness that leaked into his voice. "But no, she wants to go. She's a masochist. Kagome wouldn't give this case to another slayer to take care of."

"And you care."

The words seemed out of the blue given the line of conversation, but Inuyasha only hesitated for a moment before nodding. It would do no good to lie – clearly the redhead already knew. He had slept in the motel room while Inuyasha and Kagome shared the other. That didn't necessarily insinuate anything, but Inuyasha could tell. The kid wasn't stupid at least.

"Then why are you so difficult?" Shippo asked, not angry but merely questioning. "I've never seen her get more frustrated with anyone before."

"You really haven't been around for the past few months," Inuyasha replied, smirking. "She screams at everything that breathes. But why don't I ask you this: why do _you_ try to piss me off?"

Shippo didn't answer. Instead he grinned and instantly he looked years younger, like the sun was finally shining over the clouds. "Good question."

"That's your answer?" Inuyasha couldn't believe it. "How old are you anyways?"

"Seventeen," Shippo replied. "But according to all of my records and birth certificates I'm twenty."

The half-demon raised a brow. "You pull that off? You look like a goddamn child still."

"I have my ways, just like Kagome has hers." Shippo turned around to look in the fridge, searching for only a moment before closing it and heading to the cupboard. Inuyasha just waited, letting the boy get everything necessary for whatever dish he was making. Eventually the half-demon joined in, stirring whenever Shippo asked him to. There wasn't any conversation; mostly the words they spoke to each other were directions or questions about the food.

When the pasta was finished, Shippo made up the plates and then pushed two of them towards Inuyasha. "Want to wake her up? See if she feels like coming to the table." A bit startled and confused because he thought Shippo wanted to wake her, Inuyasha nodded slowly. He made it all of two steps before the redhead called out at him. "Hey, Inuyasha, hold on."

"What?"

Shippo wasn't looking at him, but he was definitely grinning. "Kagome's like an older sister to me," he explained, spooning out more sauce. "And it's always the little brother's job to piss off the boyfriend."

"_What_?" Inuyasha sputtered, golden eyes wide. "We're not–"

"Shut up," Shippo interrupted, rolling his eyes. "Honestly. And just because we managed to make dinner together does not mean that I'll be nice to you now when Kagome's around."

"You're doing it for _her_?" Inuyasha demanded. "For what, some sort of show?"

Finally – _finally_ – the grin was directed at him, Shippo's emerald eyes wicked. "I like to think of it as personal entertainment, yes."

* * *

I knew what Inuyasha and Shippo were trying to do by putting me to bed. I wasn't stupid, nor was I born yesterday. A breakdown was inevitable; I could feel the pressure building up inside of me, the anticipation almost too great. But I wouldn't. I wouldn't do it because now was not the time to wallow in self-pity and act like a fucking wuss. Now was the time for action. Souta was around some demonic shit and I refused to let it get to him.

He'd already suffered enough from demons.

Bridgeport was the most populated city in Connecticut, but you wouldn't know it from the small town vibe the street gave. I looked around at the barren trees covered in frost, the black iron fence and the small boutique hair salon to the side, its doorway nearly blocked with the pile of snow. The sidewalks were made of decorative brick, salted so that the ice would break away. The police station sat in the middle, standing there all large and intimidating. I wanted to go in – so fucking badly it hurt like a physical ache – but I wasn't stupid.

I stared at Inuyasha, already in his suit with his FBI badge and card in hand. "Are you sure you can do this?" I had been asking him that question since we left this morning, having gotten a car from Shippo. It wasn't exactly the best thing to use – there was absolutely no space in it for weapons or luggage. All we had were the necessities, sitting in the truck just waiting to be seen. At least the drive to the city was fine, a straight line on the I-95 with moderate to heavy traffic all the way.

The half-demon wasn't all too excited by my question, rolling his golden eyes yet again. "Shut up, will you? It'll be fine." He didn't hesitate any longer, tugging the long coat tighter to his body before opening the door. He stepped out, slamming it shut without a look back towards me. I watched him go, my fingers twitching on the wheel. Nerves were killing me, sending my body into a haywire breakdown as I wondered what was going to happen.

The minutes passed, slowly and torturously. What was happening in there? Was he made? There was the very realistic probability that he had been caught for the thief and liar he was and that I wouldn't know anything about it.

Then again, Inuyasha was a half-demon. He could get shot and still probably punch through the fucking ceiling like Superman without tights. The bastard was lucky.

It felt like five hours. Five hours of me just sitting there and drumming impatiently on the steering wheel. It didn't even feel the same because this steering wheel wasn't the same quality as my Corvette, and it didn't smell like my Corvette and Christ it was nowhere as comfortable _as my Corvette_. The thought nearly brought tears to my eyes.

When I saw Midoriko, I was going to slay her. So hard.

I saw the gleam of black hair in stark contrast to the white snow as Inuyasha walked out, a calm pace that had me partially relaxing. It couldn't have gone that badly if he was walking at that speed. I started the car and unlocked the doors, waiting for the half-demon to slide in. Driving off, I had to bite my tongue from questioning him right off the bat. It wanted to. Holy hell did I want to.

"The body is in Milford, about twenty minutes from here," Inuyasha said firstly, still not looking at me. "Go north on the I-95, exit at Ferry Boulevard."

I nodded, heading back the way we came. A part of me wanted to pull over and tug at his too-long hair until he was screaming everything I wanted to know. Another part wanted to purify him for not saying anything to begin with. The largest part just wanted him to _speak_. "Are you going to, oh I don't know, say something you asshole?"

Inuyasha looked at me then, eyes serious. "Nothing happened. They have shit for leads, they feel like they're swamped and they don't know how a human could possess the strength for seventy-two stab wounds that deep."

"Fair enough." I was pretty sure that my lower lip was going to bleed from the need to know. "And?"

The black-haired man sighed, leaning back in the cloth seat. "I didn't talk to him, Kagome. You need to breathe."

"He wasn't there, why?"

"He probably was there but when I asked regarding this case, they didn't direct me to him. They called Miroku and Sango's backup line to prove my authority, or whatever. I wasn't going to start acting strange by asking for some random cop."

"He is _not_–" I stopped myself. Starting an argument over something that stupid was not only draining, but awful. None of this was Inuyasha's fault. "Fine. You think the body will have any clues?"

"If you stab a person seventy-two times, something has to show for it," Inuyasha replied. "Demons aren't perfect."

"Obviously."

"Don't get snarky."

"Stop talking."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes again and I turned up the stereo. Country music filled the small car and it was absolutely fitting my mood.

* * *

It wasn't until I had parked the car and stepped out did the half-demon speak again.

"I don't get it."

"Don't get what?" I asked, checking my dress pants. I had put on my own suit just in case, because while I couldn't step foot into the station or anywhere that Souta could be, I wasn't entirely useless. Locking the car, I met up with Inuyasha who was staring at me in question.

"If demons were going to use your family against you, just because they think you're dead doesn't mean they're not good bait for you." Inuyasha stared at me seriously, arm reaching out to touch my shoulder. "Why can't you see your brother?"

Opening my mouth to reply, I shut it just as fast. "I'm dead to them and the further I stay away the better chance demons won't use them against me."

"They would use them anyways," Inuyasha pressed, stepping closer. It was like he was trying to engulf me so that I had nowhere to run or hide. "What's the real reason that you won't see him?"

It hurt. My teeth were clenching so hard that my jaw ached. "It's not exactly rocket science," I snapped. "Can we please go see the victim now? Will you let go of me?"

"No." His grip remained firm no matter how hard I tugged, and just because he was _right_ didn't mean I should purify him.

Of course, that had never stopped me before. I didn't even have to raise my hand to do it – the connection was there and ready, as if anticipating my next move. Inuyasha's golden eyes widened, hand instantly letting go as a scowl covered his face.

"When I say 'let go of me', I mean it," I stated, turning on my heel to walk inside.

"Fucking wench."

I deserved that. I _truly_ deserved that. I hated myself a little more. "Dog boy."

None of this was his fault. It was utterly, entirely mine.

It wasn't hard to find the office in question, and I let Inuyasha take the lead as we stepped inside. The walls were light beige, oddly neutral for a place that probably reeked of death. I could only imagine what Inuyasha was going through, what with his heightened senses and all. You couldn't tell though by looking at him. His golden eyes searched the room, knocking lightly on the door and gaining the attention of a thin woman with short black hair. I only listened to part of the conversation, trying to blend into the background. It didn't matter if Souta was here or not; I couldn't stand out. It was just too risky.

We were led away to the examination room, the stench of death making my throat close and my head pound. I had to remind myself to breath through my mouth, but even then it wasn't helpful. No matter how many dead bodies I'd seen, these rooms were always the worst.

"Here you go agent," the woman said, pulling out a drawer with a body inside. Or, what was left of a body anyways. When the sheet was pulled back, it was all I could do to not react. The victim was badly mutilated, so many wounds all over that the face was unrecognizable. While definitely male, the slicing all over his body made it difficult to tell.

"How many stab wounds again?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the dead body. How many times had the woman counted to make sure her numbers were correct?

"Seventy-two," the medical examiner responded promptly. There was a chart in her hands but she made no move to look at it. The body was fresh enough to know.

"Any strange bruising?" Inuyasha asked, doing the opposite of what I was and actually making eye contact. "Organs missing?"

While the woman gave him a strange look, she slowly nodded. "No organs were missing; most of them were minced anyways. There was bruising however under the mandible on either side of the jugular. Pressure points, two distinct finger marks but no prints were viable from what little I could gather. As stated in my report, my educated guess was that her attacker came from behind." The medical examiner stood behind me, smiling before slowly wrapping her hand around the front of my neck. Her thumb and forefinger touched my throat, the other arm coming to cover my nose. "Chloroform traces were found in her nose and throat, though you'd have to see forensics for the dosage level."

"Chloroform?" I asked, stepping out of the hold and staring at the doctor. "She was drugged?"

"Pre-mortem, yes."

I looked at Inuyasha, seeing those golden eyes intensely focused on me. This wasn't right at all.

"Thank you for your time," the half-demon said, giving a polite nod. "If we have any more questions, we'll be back."

Neither of us spoke while we left the building, our strides matching all the way until we reached Shippo's borrowed car. I got in the driver's side, placing the keys in the ignition but not starting it. "What the hell is going on?" I demanded, my mind running through possibilities. "Demons don't kill people with human methods. As far as I know, demons don't just spray out chloroform either."

"It wasn't a demon attack," Inuyasha replied. "I didn't smell any traces of sulphur on the body and nothing else indicated a supernatural death. The victim was murdered by another human."

My hands tapped unnervingly along the steering wheel. "Well fuck."

Inuyasha grunted in agreement.

"Seventy-two times is an extreme amount," I continued, piecing the puzzle together. "The exertion of those wounds… They were way too deep. Something is still going on. It can't just be a random number."

"Well what do you think it is then?" Inuyasha asked, leaning back in the seat and spreading his legs out. "We can't exorcise a human, Kagome. This is actually a case for the cops to handle."

_Beep, beep, beep, beep_–

My demon radar turned on so fast and so loud I nearly cried out. Reaching under the seat for my gun, I tensed as a sharp knock rapped on the window of the driver's side door.

"Hello my star!" Astaroth cheered, his accented voice muffled by the glass barrier. "I need another favour from you. Would you kindly roll down the window? Thanks love."

* * *

**Feedback is love!**


	35. Death by Broken Heart

**Author's Note: **(a) I hope this doesn't suck, (b) it took 4 hours to completely fix my HTKM document and with it I found multiple - MULTIPLE - scene break errors so I had to fix that in previous chapters like WTF, (c) I changed scene breaks where it switches to Inuyasha's POV with "INUYASHA" blazoned across, it'll end at the next scene marker, and finally (d) sorry this took so long :(

**Reasons to be Thankful Anyways: **I just learned that The Space In Between won second for Best AU (tied) and Target Locked won third for Best Drama. My god, you people amaze me. MIND = BLOWN.

**Dedication: **To LiaSango, because technically your birthday ended four hours ago but I was bound and determined to make this a birthday present for you, so...sorry it's late?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Death by Broken Heart**

* * *

"_Be what you want to be, see what you came to see. Been what you want to be, I don't like what I see. Like the coldest winter chill – Heaven beside you, Hell within. Like the coldest winter chill – Heaven beside you, Hell within. Like the coldest winter will – Heaven beside you, Hell within. And you think you have it still – Heaven inside you."_

_-Heaven Beside You, Alice in Chains_

* * *

For a second, all I could do was stare. It was just _one_ second though, followed by seconds in which I shoved open the door, grabbed at the demon with my hands – _my powers_ – and pinned him to the asphalt. "What the _fuck_ are you doing here?" I yelled, clenching my hand on the button-down shirt Astaroth was wearing. "What makes you think I won't kill you right now?"

The duke of Hell blinked, looking more scared than I had possibly ever seen him. It vanished in a moment though, clouded by that smug cockiness he portrayed too well. His red eyes stared at me, completely unrepentant as he sighed. "What is with you and this killing thing? Haven't we already established you love me far too much to purify me?"

Inuyasha's loud growl could be heard from above me, the kick to the demon's head a shock as I almost lost my grip. I looked up at the half-demon, rolling my eyes. "Really? My virtue is fine, thank you."

"I want to kill him," Inuyasha stated, looking at Astaroth like he was a bug to squish.

"Get in line."

Astaroth groaned dramatically. "The two of you, I swear. Your kinks disturb me to no end. Can we please get down to business?"

I shoved at his chest a little, still not finished with him. I could feel my hands connected to the strings of his black heart, and how _easy_ would it be for me to just end it here, end it now? "You nearly killed my friend," I hissed, leaning down. "Did you really think I would be so warm and welcoming the next time I saw you?"

"I had hoped for less PMS symptoms. Honestly, Kagome," Astaroth chastised, completely ignorant to the growls from the half-demon near him. "It was for the best. I had a _very, very _good reason for doing what I did. You'd be dead if it weren't for me, considering you weren't going to get back together with Inuyasha. Aamon saw the future quite clearly – all of them. You'd be dead now otherwise. See? Right now you're alive and breathing and – _oh, surprise_ – Inuyasha is here with you. Fantastic. I'm glad we had this chat. _Can_ we move on, please?"

"It wasn't you that had convinced me," I snapped. "Turns out angels are willing to kill for the same cause as you."

"You mean your angel friend?" The duke of Hell grinned. "Well, I always knew those pigeon-winged bastards had it in them. I told you my star, Heaven cannot be trusted. Why don't you just accept my offer and…" Astaroth grinned. "Come to the dark side with me?"

"Is this conversation actually happening?" Inuyasha demanded. The half-demon crouched down, clawed hand clenching and unclenching with the need to hit something. I watched, realizing if I didn't purify Astaroth, chances were that Inuyasha would kill him anyways. "What makes you think we'll do you a favour?"

"I returned the love of your life to you," Astaroth responded dryly. If Inuyasha's shocked and slightly horrified expression was anything to go by, he'd gotten the half-demon's attention. "I should think you, by extension, would therefore be indebted to me. So here it goes: I'm being hunted and it's a piss off. It was fun with the two of you twats following, but this bunch is far more annoying and far less fun."

I tried to ignore Inuyasha's still frozen expression in exchange for looking down at the smug duke of Hell. "What would I get out of this? I'm not in the demon-saving business, especially when you almost killed my friends."

"_For a good cause_," Astaroth repeated heatedly. "And I can help you with your particular case you're working. Your…brother is here, is he not?" The wicked smile on his face was just as shameless as the one he'd given before I had thrown him to the ground. "It'd be a shame for anything to happen to him."

All I saw in that moment was red. My hands grasped at him, clenching almost fully as the duke choked and sputtered with my power. "What the hell does that mean?" I demanded, pressing forward, enraged at the very idea. This was why I had _left_, because I had to keep my brother safe. I had to let him live a life that I never could. "What have you done to him?"

"Kagome." The words were sharp, deep, and I struggled to pay any mind to them. "Kagome, if you kill him we won't know what's happening to your brother."

Releasing my grip on the collared shirt, I instantly stood up and walked away. Astaroth remained on the asphalt, panting as he got his black heart back. I could hear another intake of breath as Inuyasha's deep voice rumbled incoherent words. I didn't focus on it, looking around at the scenery that did nothing to calm me down. "Was that a threat?" I yelled, whipping around to face Inuyasha and Astaroth conversing. I stormed closer, kicking the demon in the leg. "Was that a _threat_ or something already in motion?"

Astaroth glared at Inuyasha but finally turned his eyes to me. "Neither, it was just a thought. I know the killer of the case you're investigating."

"And how do you know that?" Inuyasha asked, golden eyes staring right back at the duke of Hell with absolutely zero fear.

There was a short hesitance, where Inuyasha's clawed hand wrapped around Astaroth's throat even tighter. Finally Astaroth relented, glaring all the more. "I may have had some…_influence_ on the gentleman who committed the crime." I stared at the duke for a long moment, unbelieving, before he continued. "Cultivating the next human minds for Hell, you know how it is."

"And you expect me to _help_ you?" I yelled, repulsed.

"I merely gave him the opportunity to do it," Astaroth snapped back, displeased. "He'd been thinking of killing his boss for months. His wife for even longer. I was trying to give those seven demon slaying roughnecks something to steal their attention. Instead, I got you." There was a long pause as the demon contemplated his options. "Look, if you help me I'll put a black label on your brother. No demon would ever touch so much as a hair on his head."

"All the good that'll do me if a _human_ kills him," I shouted. "My brother is the cop investigating a potential serial killer who was prompted by you! _Great_. _Fantastic._" Rubbing a hand over my face, I tried to piece together my emotions, keeping the important facts at the forefront. "So if I get these demon slayers off of your back, you'll protect my brother and get rid of the human monster you created?"

"The human monster I _helped_–" Astaroth coughed, and I tried not to be pleased with the fact that Inuyasha was drawing black blood from his throat. "Okay, fine. Will you back off? Bloody fucking _hell_."

I raised a brow at Inuyasha, shrugging. The half-demon loosened his grip begrudgingly. "You end your Frankenstein and I'll stop them once I know the threat is secured."

Astaroth narrowed his eyes. "No, I don't think so star." I didn't even have time to open my mouth before Inuyasha was punched in face, his stomach taking the second blow. Opening my hands, I tried to get a connection with his heart but he was gone a second later, disappearing.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, lunging but not even getting anywhere near me before I felt a shiver run up my spine, the duke of Hell appearing a few feet away from me.

"I won't stop the man from killing until you successfully distract your demon slayer friends from my path." I tried to reach out again but he was gone, flickering once more until I felt warmth across my back. "And that is our deal." Inuyasha growled but it was too late for him to act. Astaroth laughed behind me, pushing me forwards and into the half-demon's tense grip. "Call me again when you're done, or whenever you don't want to kill me. Whichever comes first."

"That son of a bitch," Inuyasha muttered, letting go of me to stand in the spot where the duke of Hell had once been.

This was fucking _great_. There weren't many options, not from what I could see. I could feel the panic rising up. My brother was chasing a killer prompted by a fucking _demon_. This probably wasn't anymore dangerous than any other case he worked on as a cop, but the thing was _this was my life_. It was the demon-side of the world that was edging into his and _that_ belonged to me. Souta deserved better than whatever could be dragged in from my world.

"I know that look," Inuyasha said slowly, golden eyes locking on. "You're thinking stupid thoughts."

"Fuck off," I muttered, mostly without any heat. "My brother's in danger."

The half-demon nodded, although I could tell from his expression he was thinking along the lines I had been. Souta was a cop; _of course he was in danger_. He seemed to be smart about it though because he didn't say anything, merely waiting as I paced by the car.

"We need to find him," I stated finally. "We need to tail him and make sure nothing happens."

"You realize he can probably take care of himself?" Inuyasha's voice was low, almost soothing. "He's probably at work with other cops and is most likely going to be _fine_."

"It doesn't matter. This is my fault and he can't be collateral damage."

Inuyasha stared at me like I was crazy. "This is _Astaroth's _fault, not yours," he said calmly. "How do you honestly expect us to tail him when he's working? Someone will either notice or we'll lose him. They're all in uniform and all driving the same vehicles. He could disappear without us even realizing because he's ripping away to save someone. It's not reasonable. Not only that, but how are you going to distract these demon slayers while you watch him?"

"I'm not watching him, you are," I explained, getting back into the car. "You, Special Agent Takahashi, are going to work the case with him."

"That might not even be _possible_." Inuyasha got into the passenger side, trying not to shout in frustration. I could tell his patience was starting to wear thin but screw him and his inability to just _get it_.

"Astaroth said that seven slayers were chasing him, and there's only one group of seven I know that does this line of work. I'll get a hold of them and change their direction while you partner up cozy with my brother and make sure nothing happens."

"You're out of your mind."

I glared at him. "You don't get it." Turning up the music and pulling onto the street, I ignored the way the half-demon pouted in his seat. I especially paid him no mind when he whispered, "You won't help me _to_ get it."

I had more important things to worry about.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Despite what Inuyasha thought about Kagome's less than particularly stable state, the half-demon found that he couldn't refuse. He couldn't say no to her, even though she was completely illogical about the whole thing. She was worried and rightfully so – but her brother was a cop with a gun. Surely he'd be fine.

Inuyasha met Officer Souta Higurashi for the first time in the station, having drawn the officer out through numerous, wary others. As far as first impressions went, the whole thing was pretty dull. Nothing about Souta made him stand out. There were similarities and differences for the two siblings: Souta was stocky, with a rounded jaw line and a few inches over his sister. Their hair was the same colour but it was truly the eyes – the shape, the milky chocolate colour of them – that made all the differences fall away.

And now he was in the car, a Higurashi driving at the wheel but it wasn't _Kagome_. Even being in the passenger seat was a different experience, some wild, unknown territory with Souta there. His hands were firmly set at ten and two on the wheel, his body relatively relaxed despite the situation. It wasn't until five minutes into the drive from the station to the stabbing victim's house that the half-demon's neatly organized files on the two Higurashis exploded with a deftness near breathtaking, though closer to horrifying.

"So you're FBI," Souta started, his voice eerily casual as the cop spared a glance from the road. "What was it about this case that made the FBI want to get involved?"

Inuyasha grunted. "Victim was stabbed seventy-two times. That typically raises a few flags."

"Are you thinking drugs?" Yet another question, though Souta continued to give off a sense of casualness, no double-edged questioned involved.

"Possibly," Inuyasha replied, only because the half-demon knew humans would turn to such conclusions. If Astaroth was involved, chances were he was just under a kind of trance. With a duke of Hell, anything was possible.

"Do you have a partner?"

Inuyasha gave the cop a look, confused. "What?"

"You know, a partner for cases," Souta pressed, grinning a little. It hit Inuyasha like a punch to the gut that their smiles were the same too, all bright and beautiful and completely misplaced. "I've been a cop for a bit and this isn't the first case I've seen the FBI take over. My friends – coworkers – commented on how there's usually two or more of you when something like this happens."

Inuyasha tried to process all of that. Did he ever _stop talking_? "My partner… She's, uh, performing another job at the moment. A personal thing she had to take care of."

"Oh, but you do have one." Souta nodded his head and turned right at an intersection, removing them from some big city road. "So how long–"

Thankfully, Inuyasha was saved from having to answer another personal question when the officer's phone rang, the man checking the caller ID while his face went tight with worry. And this…this was an expression Inuyasha knew all too well. Kagome had been wearing it all of last night, even when she knew her brother was at home safe and sound.

"Hey, how is she?" Souta asked, apparently well-acquainted with the caller. His eyes never left the road, but Inuyasha was curious with what he'd see in Souta's eyes. If they were nearly as expressive as Kagome's, he could learn a lot about the man without all of his questions. "That's a relief, can I pick anything up?" The caller was feminine, sounding tired. Inuyasha could hear small parts of their conversation. The words '_children's medicine' _and '_milk'_ and '_what time will you be home?' _filled the line. "Not until late," Souta answered. "Call me if anything comes up." A few more mumbled words could be heard and then finally, the call was disconnected. Souta sighed and tucked the phone away.

"Is everything okay?" Inuyasha blinked, frowning as he realized the question came from _him_. What business was it of his?

Souta evaded the question with one of his own. "You married?"

The half-demon shouldn't have been nearly so surprised. "What?"

"Do you have someone?" the cop asked again, eyes staying on the road.

"I, uh, no. Well, kind of. It's…complicated." He looked out the passenger side window, mostly to make sure his face was under control. "You ask a lot of questions."

"Yeah," Souta replied, huffing a laugh. "Hitomi yells at me for that a lot. She says it makes it hard to have friends. I think she's secretly jealous."

"Your wife?" Inuyasha let the conversation from the phone sink in. _Children's medicine_.

…Oh.

"My wife," the black-haired cop confirmed, grinning. "She's a bit nuts right now though. We just had a kid a few months back and she's pulling out her hair on maternity leave because she _can't sit still_."

Not only did Souta ask a lot of questions, but he _over-shared_. "You have a kid?" This couldn't be happening. He _should not _know this, only because Kagome was going to find out. She was going to drag it out of him and this would devastate her for reasons completely beyond him.

"A girl," Souta replied, his grin softening. "Her name's Kagome."

Jesus fucking Christ.

Inuyasha might as well call a psychologist, because he wouldn't be able to hide it well enough, she would find out and then, Kagome would undoubtedly lose her shit. He'd have to pull double-duty watching over Souta so he didn't get killed and watching over Kagome, so she didn't commit suicide.

"We're here," Souta said suddenly, drawing Inuyasha out of his horrid thoughts. The victim's house was before him, and when had they gotten into a subdivision? "You ready?"

He most certainly _was not._ Fuck you all very much.

* * *

I stared at Shippo while he stared right back.

"As much as I'd like to think of myself as a god, it's just not enough to make it true," Shippo stated solemnly, shaking his head. "I do not hold the answers of the universe."

"Ugh," I whined, rubbing at my temples. "Sango, are you even there still? Have you found them?" Clutching the phone tightly in her hand, she shifted her gaze towards the ceiling of the guest bedroom. The Band of Seven were nearly impossible to track, although they would have to be somewhere nearby if they were hunting Astaroth.

"You're nearly asking for the impossible," Miroku grumbled. Apparently he had the phone now, helping Sango shift through their old things from Boomerang's. "We didn't exactly keep a Rolodex for this kind of stuff. What do you need them for anyways?"

"Some information," I lied, watching as Shippo's face turned from bored to disapproving relatively quickly. _He_ knew what was going on but I certainly wasn't going to tell Sango or Miroku that I had let the demon that almost killed them get away, that I was doing him a _favour_. He would keep my brother safe though, and if I had learned anything in these past few months, it was that demons were far more reliable than angels were. I hadn't even _seen_ Midoriko for weeks.

"Ah ha!" Sango's voice was initially far away, but there must have been a trade off as she came closer to the line. "I think I have Jakotsu's number, although they may have changed it around since last time I got it. You have a pen?"

I gestured for Shippo to grab one and the redhead scrambled for a moment, sliding off the bed and out of the room. "Hold on a second," I mumbled, waiting for his return before giving her the go-ahead. With the number written, I thanked her and promised to visit soon. I always said that, but it never really produced any results. They were too smart to comment anyways.

Shippo eyed me as I disconnected the call, looking a little like he could read my mind. It was far too unsettling and I quickly picked up the phone again to dial in the potential number.

"No you don't!" Shippo exclaimed, reaching out and snatching it from my hands. "You need a _plan_ before you do something so stupid. Do you realize how bad it's going to look if they find out you're covering for this demon? If they find that you put them on the wrong path?"

It couldn't be any worse than what they already saw me as. Last time we were in the same room, I pointed a gun at them to protect Inuyasha from being killed. It wasn't exactly a golden moment in our relationship. Shippo must've seen the expression on my face though, so I sighed and told him about what happened at Boomerang's. He had already been told a little, since I filled him in before I called Miroku and Sango. He hadn't known the full extent – hadn't been told the complete fuck up of when Astaroth came, threatened me with Sango and Miroku's death and then beamed the half-demon in to make matters all the more interesting. The more I explained, the bigger his green eyes got.

"And you just want to call them up like old chums and ask them nicely to look south instead of north?"

I shrugged. "Well, I was thinking of taking a different approach. It's a little more honest, at least."

"How can you get only a little more honest?" Shippo didn't look amused but at least I had his attention.

"I'm going to tell them that the demon their hunting is _mine_," I finally told him, pushing on before he could speak. "They were at Boomerang's, so they know some powerful demon came in to destroy us all. I'll just tell them I want revenge on my own terms, and that he's mine to kill."

"And if they don't listen?" the redhead asked, looking a little weary. It was like my drama aged him to no end. Truthfully, it probably had that effect.

"Then I'll hunt them down, shoot out their knees and stick them in a hospital somewhere to get better and walk again." It was relatively solid, I thought. "They don't like me much anyways. What's the difference between threatening them with a gun like I did before and actually shooting them with it? They're pissed off anyways and if it does come to that, they'll be looking for my head rather than Astaroth's."

Shippo closed his eyes and put his head into his hands. "You've really fucked this up, haven't you?"

"That's not even remotely the first time that thought has crossed my mind." I hesitated for a moment and then dialled. There was a part of me that knew this was all a front, a façade of something much more broken inside. But I could hold it in. I had to. There was no other option and soon enough, I would be gone from here, from Souta, from _it all_. Maybe, in the end, that would be best.

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

"How long have you been with the FBI?"

Inuyasha was wondering if Kagome had been so chatty prior to the demon attack when she had become the Chosen One. He remembered going into her memories well enough, and she had been…excitable, innocent and naïve. That didn't equal out to chatty, but Inuyasha figured something had to give. Souta was far too curious for his own damn good.

Maybe he did need protecting.

"A few years, not too long," Inuyasha replied, trying not to be so specific.

"And your partner?"

Inuyasha sighed. "She's been at this a whole hell of a lot longer." The half-demon wondered what Kagome would say about their particular conversation. Some small part of him thought she'd be happy at discussing at least a bit of her – even if Souta didn't know it. The other part, the one that feared for his life half the time, figured she would probably yell at him some more.

She tended to do that when she got crazy about something. Having Souta so near and not being able to communicate with him, or see him, or even say hi? That pretty much defined the crazy.

Souta nodded his head. "Have you been partners for long then?"

Inuyasha waited until the cop looked at him before speaking. "You really do ask a lot of questions."

Rolling his eyes – and wasn't _that_ familiar – Souta huffed. "I like…experiences. New things, new people. When I was younger, I focused a lot on silly stuff like my video games and comics and then one day...it all kind of changed."

Inuyasha waited, although he knew what was coming. It almost surprised him when Souta didn't spill the whole story, not opening up completely to a stranger like him. "My sister was the reason I decided to become a cop. She was murdered when I was a kid and I realized that I never really knew her. She was just an annoying person that ruffled my hair and forced me to do my homework when Mom wasn't home."

"I only ever had a half-brother. We don't exactly get along." The words were out of his mouth before he could hold them back, and Inuyasha figured that if he was going to talk about things better left unsaid, at least it would be with someone that was both familiar and a complete stranger. Those two definitions of the man at the wheel seemed to make all the difference.

"You should try to…I don't know, not my place." Souta smiled then, a bit lop-sided. "But I named my daughter after my sister; figured it would be an honour to at least appreciate my love for one of them."

The moment was shattered as the radio crackled to life. Souta grabbed at it, answering the female voice on the other end with a series of codes and tens and Inuyasha didn't even know what. He tried to listen in but not much of it made sense. It wasn't until Souta put it back and his grip tightened on the wheel that Inuyasha was about to put it together.

"We have somewhere to be?"

"If you don't mind the ride." Souta suddenly made a jarring right turn, moving them into a parking lot before he stopped the vehicle. Inuyasha didn't even have time to ask what they were doing before he was out of the car, heading towards the trunk. He came back moments later, throwing a heavy vest at him that made Inuyasha grunt. "Put this on. We've got an in-progress H-and-R and there's no word yet if the suspect is armed. We're the closest unit for backup."

Inuyasha realized then that he was holding a Kevlar vest, and that Souta was giving it to him because they were potentially going to get shot at. This was exactly what Inuyasha had been telling Kagome about – that no matter what, Souta's life was in danger because he was a cop. This wasn't the case with the man who'd stabbed at someone seventy-two times, this was a basic…H-and-R. Whatever the hell that was.

When Souta finished putting on his own vest, he got back in and turned on the lights. The high pitch of the siren made Inuyasha's ears hurt, but he hid the initial wince as he wrestled to get the vest on in the car. It was bulky and heavy, completely unwilling to move like he wanted it to while he struggled to put it on while staying in his seat. Souta was effortlessly moving through traffic, his mouth for once not opening to ask questions. It wasn't until Inuyasha finally managed to put the vest on that he realized there was something different about the cop's demeanour. It was like he had shifted, flowed from one role as an easygoing guy driving an FBI agent to some victim's house, to another role as a cop trying to catch a bad guy and keep the world safe.

"Dark blue, four door sedan. The first three characters of the plate are 3-8-4. It's an older model, so keep on the lookout," Souta stated, passing a few cars that managed to pull to the side of the road. There were more crackles of static, but most of it was left ignored. Inuyasha determined they were street names, a male voice every so often giving directions. Suddenly Souta swore under his breath, braking hard and doing a U-turn.

"We passed it?" Inuyasha asked.

"No, we're about a block north of the suspect's car. They spun around though, so we're going to try and head them off before they get near the highway." Souta accelerated and Inuyasha noticed distinct differences in his and Kagome's driving styles. Souta was a lot jerkier with the wheel but he drove like someone who was used to quick changes. Kagome just drove like she was trying to outrun the devil.

It was a pretty decent description, considering.

Soon, Inuyasha grabbed the door handle as they made a particularly harsh turn. They had slowed considerably at an intersection, making sure no one was going to go before accelerating out of it. Souta's eyes were glued to the road, intense focus ahead at the cars coming closer. It was a two lane road, with one strip for each direction. Inuyasha could see far ahead, just cresting a hill, a dark sedan that matched what Souta said. He squinted, knowing his vision was far better than a human's as he spotted the same numbers Souta told him before.

"Up ahead, top of the hill going down," Inuyasha stated. Sure enough, several police cruisers were right behind, chasing the car.

"Hold on," Souta yelled, checking the mirrors quickly before making a hard left into traffic. Inuyasha could only watch as the dark sedan got closer, looking for a long time like it was going to crash right into them. At the very last second it swerved, but Souta was faster and accelerated the nose of the car into it, hitting the driver's door and making it swerve dangerously. The move gave the remaining cop cars an opportunity to surround but Inuyasha could see the driver already moving, the car door opening as the suspect planned on fleeing.

Instinct took over and Inuyasha flung open his door to follow. He could see right away the flash of a gun in the suspect's hand and he ran harder, speeding a turn to catch the guy before he had the stupid idea to try and shoot his way out. The suspect got the idea anyways.

"Gun! Gun!"

Inuyasha jumped right as the suspect turned, raising his gun to aim and pulling the trigger. The echo of a gunshot ran in his ears, far too loud and taking up everything. The half-demon didn't slow, didn't stop, not even as a shout of pain rang from behind him. Inuyasha had the suspect slammed into the asphalt, gun scattering across the road as he brought the man down. It wasn't hard to have the human pinned, no matter how much the guy struggled. Cops swarmed and cuffed the guy, and Inuyasha got up as fast as he could because he _knew_ that yell, even after only a couple hours.

Souta was down on the ground but even from his position, the half-demon could tell he was breathing. He knelt at the cop's side, looking at Souta with wide eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, fingers gingerly touching the hole where the bullet had gone into the vest. It was on the right side of his chest, quite low but still somewhere around his ribs. The bullet had been for Inuyasha and yet, Souta had been collateral damage because Inuyasha had jumped to avoid it.

Kagome was going to _kill him_.

"We need a medic!" Inuyasha yelled, mostly because that's what people did in the television shows he watched in the motel rooms. Not only that, but the thought of what Kagome's face would look like when he told her would just be…horrendous. He had to do something.

Surely he was going to die by Kagome's hands.

"How fast _are you_?" Souta wheezed out, his brown eyes wide in wonder. "You were there and then you were _flying_."

Inuyasha blinked, realizing that he may have inadvertently caused far more problems by trying to save the day. "I think you hit your head pretty damn hard on the road," he said gruffly, hoping to cover it up. "I didn't _fly_."

Laughing, Souta soon winced and held out a hand. "Then the least you could do for someone as head injured as me is to drive me home to my family."

Inuyasha ignored the tightly wound coil of discomfort in his stomach and did as the man asked. As other cops came and went to handle the situation, Inuyasha swiped a cell phone from one of them to call Kagome. He only prayed that she had managed to get the job done fast enough so that he wouldn't have to watch Souta for much longer.

He wasn't very good at it.

As the paramedics came and Souta was being looked after, Inuyasha slowly explained everything that had happened. Kagome, for the most part, was deathly silent. It unnerved him more than everything, so he spoke to her about their conversation and how Souta was alive and well and with a new family.

_He has a baby girl named Kagome_.

Kagome didn't say much of anything, other than to tell him that she had managed to convince the Band of Seven off of Astaroth's tail. She would be summoning the duke of Hell in a moment, somewhere a few blocks away from Shippo's house so that it wasn't so easily discovered. As long as their deal went through, Kagome figured they could leave Bridgeport by that night.

"Takahashi!" It was another cop, but Inuyasha saw Souta waving to him. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment and Kagome on the other end could hear it, sensing the situation without him really explaining.

"Is it him?" she asked. Her voice was tightly controlled but Inuyasha knew her far too well for it to work. The damage this case had caused was already done and nothing had actually happened.

"Yeah, I have to go." Inuyasha nodded his head, slowly moving over to the ambulance. "Kagome, are you okay?"

"I'm fine."

It was a huge, unmistakable lie. Inuyasha couldn't do anything but let her hang up.

There was some negotiating, but Inuyasha realized that he didn't know much of anything that was going on. Somehow, it had been arranged for Souta's car to be at the hospital and that when the x-rays and scans were over, Inuyasha would make sure he got home safely. Souta mostly smiled at him, not saying much but giving him these looks with those big brown eyes that suggested he knew more than it seemed. Maybe Inuyasha hadn't convinced him his head wound was great enough but the half-demon wasn't sure what else to do to prove he hadn't actually flown.

He was in the waiting room, having spent the last two hours there. He had called Kagome a few times, each of their conversations shorter and more strained than the last. She kept asking him questions, probing for answers about her brother. Inuyasha kept telling her, and he didn't know if it was because of the guilt for letting her brother get shot in the first place or because when it came to Kagome he'd probably spill it anyways. It had been better between them – at least he wanted to think so. Despite everything that had happened, Inuyasha _cared_. He felt that way before everything blew up and it didn't end even after she shot his other leg.

He still wanted the Shikon no Tama for himself. He still wanted to become a full-demon and to kill Naraku for being the evil bastard that he was. No one should have that kind of power, and Inuyasha would make it the last thing he ever did if he had to in order to make sure that Naraku wouldn't hurt anymore people.

To make sure that Naraku wouldn't hurt _Kagome_, and that Heaven would finally give her what she well and truly deserved.

So Inuyasha cared a whole fucking lot, and he mostly didn't know what to do with it. He wasn't one with words and he certainly wasn't good at showing it. The situation seemed impossible, so for the time-being Inuyasha let it rest. There were more important things to deal with.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself.

"Hey, Takahashi," Souta called, disturbing the half-demon's thoughts. "You okay?"

Inuyasha raised a brow, staring at the familiar man and unable to stop himself from chuckling. "Says the guy coming from the hospital room. You okay? You ready to go?"

"I was ready to leave the minute I got here. I refuse to take any painkillers until I get home, so we better hurry." Souta gave a tired smile, clapping him on the back. "I just want to go home, see my girl."

Inuyasha could kind of relate.

"Where, uh– What's your address?" Inuyasha asked, clutching the cell phone tighter. "I'll have someone come and pick me up from there, if that's alright with you."

Souta gave him a funny look but gave him the address anyways, leading the two of them out towards his car. Inuyasha realized for one horrible moment that he might actually have to drive – and how would he explain _that_? – but Souta rolled his eyes and got in the driver's seat. "This is not the first time I've been shot in the vest. I told you, no painkillers until I get home."

The car ride was uncharacteristically silent on the drive back. Inuyasha had sent Kagome a text with the address, hoping to hell that she wouldn't do something stupid and break into it before either of them got back. She knew Souta was married and she knew he had a kid named Kagome. He might not have imagined the break in her voice when she said how happy she was for her brother, but Inuyasha couldn't imagine Kagome risking her identity like that for something that would ultimately break her further.

"You know, I don't even know your first name," Souta said suddenly, hands steady at ten and two on the wheel.

"Inuyasha," he answered, licking his lips. "I introduced myself when we first met."

"I'm bad at introductions. I never remember," the cop replied faintly. He didn't offer anything else up though, unusual as that was, and Inuyasha didn't press. The subdivision he lived in was nice, with smaller town homes that had decent backyards. There were stop signs and speed bumps everywhere, and it only made him more nervous the closer they got. Surely Kagome would be there and it was only a matter of time before he had to handle the aftermath Bridgeport had caused them.

It was when he saw the familiar, beaten up car at the furthest end of the street that Inuyasha realized they were there. Souta turned the car into the driveway, turning off the engine before letting out a sigh of relief. "Did you want to meet them?"

For a long second, Inuyasha had no clue who Souta meant, too caught up with the knowledge that Kagome was so close. He wanted to shake his head, but as he slowly started to do it Inuyasha watched as Souta's face _fell_. It was tragic and Inuyasha found himself nodding soon enough.

It just didn't seem fair that he got to meet Kagome's niece when she couldn't even catch a glimpse.

He was saved from having to go inside when Souta's wife, Hitomi, was already standing at the entranceway with the door open. There was no baby in her arms and for that Inuyasha was hugely thankful. Hitomi had soft, wavy brown hair and narrow blue eyes. Her smile was strained but genuine, hands gingerly brushing against Souta's face the moment he got near.

"I didn't bring home any milk," he said by way of greeting, and Hitomi laughed.

"I know, I got the call," she answered. Suddenly, her blue eyes focused on Inuyasha and the half-demon froze to the spot. Her smile only grew, hand extending. "My name's Hitomi and you are…?"

"Sorry," Souta murmured. "This is Special Agent Inuyasha Takahashi. He's working a case with us for the next little while." The cop's attention was distracted by the inside before he looked at Inuyasha, searching. "Is your ride here, or do you want to come in at all?"

"Oh, no, she's here," Inuyasha said, trying not to stumble over his words. "I should go."

"Well, I'll probably see you around, yeah?" Souta reached out a hand to shake his and Inuyasha plastered on a smile that would pass appropriately. "We'll need all the help we can get on this victim's case."

Inuyasha didn't comment on the fact that it had already been taken care of. Astaroth had apparently held up his end of the deal and while he didn't know exactly what happened to the human with killing tendencies, he imagined nothing good. "I'll do my best. Get some rest."

Souta rolled his eyes and nodded. His look screamed rather unimpressed, and all the half-demon could think was of how proud Kagome would be that her younger brother had the exact same disapproving face.

* * *

I wasn't handling this nearly as well as I thought, being so close.

I couldn't help but watch the encounter, seeing Inuyasha talk with Souta so easily. If things had been different – if my life had been different – I could see the two of them not getting along because Souta would hate any guy near me and Inuyasha…well, he'd be there. Of course, a different life would mean no powers and no knowledge of the supernatural.

No Inuyasha.

I bit my lip, stuffing my hands deeper into the pockets of my winter jacket. It was snowing, the flakes gently falling with the cold breeze. My hair wasn't doing a good enough job protecting my ears and I felt frozen, in more ways than one.

Souta shook Inuyasha's hand and soon my little brother was walking into his house, with his beautiful wife towards their beautiful child and– It hurt. It fucking hurt so much I could hardly breathe. This had been easier when I didn't have to think about it, when I was dealing with the Band of Seven and not Souta's personal life. Now it was in front of my face and it was all brutally crashing down. None of this was fair. I should be there, holding that child and spoiling it. Her name was Kagome, she was named after _me_ and I would never know her. I would never see if her smile matched my own, or if she cried whenever my mom – her grandmother – held her. I would never know what her first word was and I'd never be able to hold her hand as she took her first slow and unsteady steps.

Inuyasha was walking towards me now, down the road. Souta had gone inside and I wouldn't see him again. My eyes stared at the door for a long moment, knowing that all of the windows were shuttered. It was getting dark, the night air getting colder as the snow continued to fall. Souta wouldn't be able to see me, not that I could let him. It was all hitting me now, and it _just wasn't fair._

The sound of footsteps crunching in the snow stopped and my brown eyes landed on the half-demon in front of me, looking for all the world like he was torn. His hands clenched and unclenched and his golden eyes were staring at me, _seeing _me. It was just like when we had first met, first got along. There was something deep and soulful there, something that made my body hum and respond.

"Kagome, what are you doing?" Inuyasha whispered. He sounded wrecked, like the view of me caused him pain. Could it? Did it? Did he care that much?

I swallowed, feeling my throat tighten. My eyes were burning with unshed tears and I wanted them to fall so badly, so I could just have that moment and move on. I didn't want to think about family or about love because I wasn't allowed to have it. I had never been allowed to have it and Souta disappearing into his goddamn house to his fucking family was proof of that. Inuyasha turning the tables on me those months ago was proof of that. The fact that Heaven refused to let me go was _proof of that_.

"Kagome…" Inuyasha took a step forward and I took a step back.

I licked my lips, feeling my body tremble and shake and I couldn't tell now if it was from the below freezing temperature or my failing will. "Please don't," I whispered, hating the way I sounded. Hating the way my voice came out all broken, full of emotion and so fucking vulnerable. "I can't– I'll never see–" It was too much and Inuyasha's soft, pained gaze was too much and it was all fucking _too much_.

I rushed forward, taking my hands out of my pockets and grabbing his head. I crushed my lips to his, trying to pry them open and feel something other than what I was feeling. I didn't want him to see me so vulnerable but there was no way to hide it from him. His lips were soft, pliant against my teeth as I tugged and begged for entrance. I felt the weight of his hands on my waist, pressing against my thick winter coat. The noise he made was a mix between a choke and a growl, something I'd never heard and felt all the way to my toes.

His hands moved up, sliding around my face and across cheekbones. He pushed me back, softly but with enough force I couldn't fight him even if I wanted to. His thumb brushed against my cheek and I hated him. I hated him so much, and the fact that he was wiping the tears from my eyes made me hate him all that much more.

"This isn't what you want," Inuyasha whispered, looking wrecked like this was physically causing him pain. "I won't let it happen like this."

"Please." It sounded pathetic, even to my own ears. My hands trailed down his neck, lifting off of him only to reach for the belt of his jeans. "Let's go, please," I begged, tugging him towards the car. "We'll stop somewhere and see Shippo in the morning, _please let's go_." The leather was in my hands, the slip almost out of the metal's hold when Inuyasha forcefully pushed me back into the car, separating us. He took three steps back, furthering the distance as he fixed what I tried to undo.

"For fuck's sake, _stop Kagome_!" Inuyasha screamed, looking madder than I'd ever seen him. "You're trying to feel something other than this pain and that's all you ever do. It's why you drink, it's why you fight and it's why you can be such a raging, distant bitch. Stop acting like you can't be hurt because it's fucking untrue!"

I stared, feeling the wind slap me in the face. The car was solid behind me but I felt like I was sinking, slipping so far down that I didn't think I'd make it back up. "Inu– I'm–" Words failed me, but I didn't have to keep going because Inuyasha growled, closing the distance and pressing me against the car like we'd never been apart.

"You don't get to do this to yourself," Inuyasha hissed angrily. "I will _not_ let you do this again, even if you fucking hate my guts for it. You have every right to feel the way you do Kagome. You're human and it's the most beautiful thing about you." The half-demon's hand cupped my chin, forcing me to meet his golden stare. "Stop trying to be something that isn't broken, because I can't fix you if I don't know where to start."

Tears were streaming down my face, the warm liquid a shock to the cold air. I took a deep breath, felt it burn in my lungs as I struggled to gain ground. A part of me wanted to fight and kick and scream my way out of this – like I always did. I didn't need to be fixed. I didn't need someone to tell me that I was broken. Even if I was, I'd pick up the pieces my own bloody self.

But.

Inuyasha must have seen something in my eyes, my face, my body, _something_ because suddenly his hands were grabbing at me, pulling me so tightly into him that all I felt was the frost on his jacket and his puff of breath at the top of my head. I was completely covered, wrapped in his arms like a baby swaddled. He was going to hold me. He was going to take care of me, of this mess and somehow he thought we'd make it out alive.

A sound so raw and broken, I had at first thought it came from somewhere else, ripped out of my throat. I buried into him deeper, clinging to him as my fists dug into the material of his jacket. I let it all go, let it all flood out as the dam broke and I was left swimming without an anchor. Inuyasha didn't let go of me, didn't stop me or shush me. He simply held on, his lips pressed to the top of my head and soft murmurs of incoherent words occasionally whispered into my hair.

* * *

**Comments to Acknowledge**

_IrishIndy:_Sweetie, I don't think you could be anymore behind than me :) Thank you though, for all of the support and everything!

_Jaylonni Love: _Did it? I'm sorry to hear about that? I hate this crap.

_Samantha: _Thank you dear! Sorry it took so damn long, but I hope it was okay anyways *hides*

_LondonLi: _Are you sure, after this long, late is better than never? Ahaha, thank you dear. Kagome is definitely...messed up, in a ton of ways in this story. She doesn't see all that much very clearly. That may change eventually ;) Thank you love!

_VanillaSweet: _Your first time? Well thank you so much for making it me :D I'm extremely happy that you enjoy my stories, and I hope you liked this chapter even if it sucked?

_MsikGirl: _SUPERNATURAL FANS UNITE. I'M GOING TO SEE THEM IN OCTOBER. IN THE FLESH. *Melts into a puddle of goo*. Thank you darling, I'm so happy you're liking this!

_(): _Yes, I had, unfortunately, tried that. I didn't get it back but I've managed to recreate the file on my own after four hours, so it's mostly better!

_LadySparrow: _Thanks for your support darling. It was quite frustrating. I pretty much made stupid, high-pitched noises for a minute before my mom gently took my computer away from me. I'm glad you like WYFO too! That'll be updated on Wednesday :)

_Eris of Chaos: _I'm hoping this chapter wasn't too bad then :) Thank you for your support hun!

_Whoobonhooaglo: _Thanks my love! At least I managed to get this up, although hopefully it wasn't awful... *shrugs*

* * *

**A huge thank you to everyone for their support with all of the problems I had with this. I love you all more than WORDS.**

**There are only...7 more chapters to go. After three years? Thank fuck. Although, I will be very sad/happy/a mess when it's done.**

**Feedback is greatly appreciated *hugs***


	36. Voodoo Child

**Author's Note:** I have a poll, check it out.

**Warnings: **This chapter contains sex. So there. Message me if you want details to skip it.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Six: Voodoo Child**

* * *

"_But I believe the world is burning to the ground. Oh well, I guess we're going to find out. Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come. Well I believe the world is coming to an end. Oh well, I guess we're going to pretend. Let's see how far we've come. Let's see how far we've come."_

_-How Far We've Come, Matchbox 20_

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Inuyasha was not remotely convinced that Kagome was well enough to drive. If he'd been able to figure out what the hell cars did, he would've driven them back to Shippo's place himself. As it was, Kagome merely sniffled in the driver's seat, having calmed down enough to not cry anymore.

He didn't know what to do.

He wanted to reach over there and touch her, do something to make her realize that she wasn't alone in this mess. He wanted her to figure out that Inuyasha wasn't planning on going anywhere, not anymore. Even if he had the Shikon no Tama in his hands, he wouldn't leave her. They would be side by side like they were now.

Another sniffle drew his attention and Inuyasha didn't fight it this time when his left hand twitched before resting it palm upwards on her thigh. It was an invitation of sorts, although he wasn't entirely sure what he was inviting. Kagome merely gave him a smile, dropping her hand from the steering wheel to grip his, squeeze his, and Inuyasha thought maybe he should fight his impulses less.

The lights were on at Shippo's house when they returned later, the sky completely dark with only the waxing moon for light. The snow was thicker on the ground here than in Bridgeport, making Inuyasha cringe at the sound of snow under his boots. It was nothing compared to the feeling that clutched at his chest when Kagome let out a shaky breath. Inuyasha didn't know what to say, mostly because he'd already said it all. He wanted to help her and to fix her, but tonight wasn't it. Right now she needed sleep and rest to let it all go. Tomorrow they could talk about it and maybe Inuyasha could tell her how Souta looked when he talked about her, and how much he regretted not knowing her. He could connect her with her brother as much as possible, to the best of his ability. He didn't have a way with words, and he always felt actions were far better, but right now Inuyasha didn't have a clue.

When they walked into the house, Shippo was right there staring. It took only a moment before green eyes examined Kagome's red-rimmed and glassy ones. Instantly Shippo hugged her, pulling Kagome to his chest while he glared at Inuyasha. "What the hell did you do?"

"_Me_?" Inuyasha looked at the kid with shock because he knew the redhead was at least partially involved in the case. Kagome should have told him that he was out protecting Souta. Why was this _his _fault? "Where do you get off–?"

"Her brother was shot when you were supposed to protect him!" Shippo snapped, holding Kagome tighter. "Of everything that–"

"_Shut up_!" Kagome yelled, pushing at Shippo's chest until he let her go. Inuyasha could only see the back of her head, but if Shippo's expression was anything to go by, she wasn't pleased. "Souta is alive and fine, _thank you_ for your concern. I'm not crying because of Inuyasha! Is it really so hard to figure out the real reason?"

She didn't wait for an answer, brushing past the redhead to escape into the guest bedroom. Shippo gave one desperate, almost apologetic look at the half-demon before running behind her, calling out her name.

Inuyasha closed his eyes. He would be lucky to even _survive_ the next day. Walking into the kitchen, he tried to ignore the sounds coming from the guest bedroom. He could hear them talking, hear words and apologies and some stilted acceptances. Inuyasha tried his best to let it roll off his back, even when the door opened and shut again and the redhead stepped back into the hall. Shippo's green eyes were downcast but he was tense. Inuyasha could see it in the way he moved, as the redhead approached the small island in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry," Shippo said finally, looking at the half-demon. "You didn't deserve that."

Inuyasha shrugged, not really sure what he deserved. "How is she?"

"Going to bed, but probably not," Shippo replied, learning forwards heavily on the counter. "What happened out there?"

"I thought you'd already figured it out," the half-demon stated, unable to keep the sneer out of his voice. Shippo was annoying, _a brat_, and then there were times when he wasn't so bad. Inuyasha didn't like people who were all over the place. Kagome seemed to have ruined him for others. When Shippo merely looked a little lost and a lot regretful, the half-demon sighed. "Her brother did get shot but he was wearing a vest. I had jumped the bad guy but the bullet missed me by a mile. Do you really think I'd still be around if I got Souta dead?"

Shippo's face became more and more sheepish. "Not unless you were a dead body."

"Exactly." Inuyasha rolled his eyes at Shippo's grin. The kid was seriously _all over the place_. "Souta's married with a baby girl and her name is Kagome."

"Oh."

"Yeah, _oh_."

"I already said I was sorry," Shippo murmured. "I won't make that mistake again."

There was a long moment of silence, where Inuyasha decided that ransacking the cupboards for a glass was suddenly important. It wasn't until he was four cupboards in that Shippo pointed him in the right direction, making finding the glass easier. He quickly filled it with water and had a sip.

He hated water, but whatever.

"What are you guys going to do now?" Shippo asked quietly, green eyes searching for the answer in the air.

"I don't know. Whatever she needs to do, I guess."

"Even if it ends up costing her?" Shippo raised a brow. "You'd let her kill herself slowly but surely? She shouldn't just get back to hunting demons and not deal with this."

"I thought we were_ done _with this bullshit?" Inuyasha asked, trying to keep his voice light. It didn't work at all. "I would never let her do that, I'd distract her first. Get her out of the way. Get her to focus on something else. I've done it before."

The redhead nodded at that, taking a deep breath before going to another cupboard that Inuyasha hadn't gotten to. Shippo bent over and reached into the far back, making a huff before his hand reappeared with whiskey. Two more glasses came from another cupboard and Shippo didn't hesitate before pouring them each a glass.

"You're seventeen," Inuyasha pointed out with raised eyebrows. "You shouldn't be drinking."

"There's a liquor store a few miles from here," Shippo replied with instead. "It's sketchy and shady and the guy behind the counter doesn't ask questions. Here."

Inuyasha wasn't one for alcohol. It didn't do anything to him, not like it did to humans. His last outing with Kagome at that bar so long ago had been eye-opening, and now he kind of wished that Shippo hadn't done this. Surely it wouldn't be good. Ignoring the burn, Inuyasha gulped the whole thing down, barely flinching when he asked for more. If Shippo was going to torture him with human antics, he might as well drink as much as possible.

"Can you get drunk?" Shippo suddenly asked, the question dawning on him.

"Probably if I drank a whole liquor store," Inuyasha muttered, watching the amber liquid slide into his glass. He took the second one a lot slower.

"I said before that you cared about her," Shippo started, making Inuyasha wince. The guy wasn't even drunk yet and they were getting into dangerous territory. "And clearly you're very protective of her."

Inuyasha eyed the whiskey disdainfully. There couldn't be enough in the world for this conversation. "Someone needs to do it."

"No, that's wrong," Shippo pointed out, leaving the kitchen without so much as a glance back. Inuyasha watched the redhead, knowing what the kid was doing. It was a tactic to draw him out, back into the living room where Shippo was currently headed towards. It was where serious conversations were going to be had, and didn't they already have one a couple days back?

But how was he wrong? Someone needed to protect Kagome because she damn well couldn't do it herself. He'd seen it happen, watched as the black-haired demon slayer downed alcohol and did stupid things and left herself completely vulnerable.

Against his own wishes, Inuyasha walked into the living room. "Alright," the half-demon said tiredly, "what do you mean I'm wrong?" Humming a little, Shippo just took another small sip. It was infuriating. "Come on!" Inuyasha protested. "You can't seriously be this difficult to deal with. Kagome's not even here so you don't need to do that little song and dance show you were performing earlier. It's just you and me now."

"It's not just _someone_ that needs to protect her," Shippo whispered, voice a bit rough from the alcohol. "It's _you_ that has to protect her."

"Right," he spat sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Anyone could do the job just fine."

"You really think that?" the redhead asked seriously. "Then why did you hate me so much at first?"

Inuyasha chuckled. "Let's see: one, you're a brat; two, you're a child; three, you're annoying–"

"That's not the real reason and you know it," Shippo sighed, hesitating only a second in his speech to take another sip of whiskey. "No one else can protect her but you. No one else would do as good of a job, according to you."

"That's not true."

"So if Kagome decided she only needed me to protect her and not you, you'd be fine with that?"

Inuyasha frowned. "Well obviously not, have you _seen you_? You might as well paint a target on your back, freckles."

"And I'm the child," Shippo muttered under his breath. "What about Miroku and Sango?"

"They obviously can't hold their own either," Inuyasha stated. "Astaroth destroyed them."

"You're talking about a duke of Hell, here, you know. He's not exactly easy to kill," Shippo said.

"But Kagome has a duke of Hell for an admirer so whoever takes care of her needs to be able to deal with that."

"And who can deal with that, Inuyasha?"

_Me._ Inuyasha kept his mouth shut, ignoring the grinding of his teeth. He didn't want anymore of this stupid conversation. If Shippo hadn't been such a moron in the first place by yelling at Inuyasha, he wouldn't have felt the need to have this heart-to-heart.

"Kagome loves you, you know," Shippo murmured, sighing. "And you love her too, so I don't get why you two haven't worked it all out yet."

Balking, Inuyasha reacted a second too slow before he decided to down the rest of the whiskey. He looked back at the empty glass, realizing that it was _pointless_. Alcohol wasn't going to do anything for him, obviously. It was futile to even try.

"Did I hurt your ears or something?" Shippo asked dryly, rolling his green eyes.

"No," Inuyasha replied, although his voice sounded funny, _strangled_ almost. "No, I got your message loud and clear."

Shippo leaned forward, putting his barely-finished glass on the floor so he could directly his attention fully to the half-demon. "Did you?"

"Yeah."

Standing up, Shippo picked up his glass and then wandered back into the kitchen. Inuyasha let him go, not wanting to be in the general vicinity of the redhead anyways. He was a kid, he didn't know anything. Whatever had just come out of his mouth was an incorrect observation. Kagome didn't love him and he didn't…

"Goodnight Inuyasha," Shippo said. "Sorry about the couch."

Inuyasha nodded absentmindedly. He waited for long, agonizing minutes as he listened to Shippo get ready for bed. There was the creaking of a headboard, barely audible except to his ears. The kid was finally going to sleep.

The half-demon didn't move.

He didn't think about the words just spoken because… Well, it wasn't necessary. He already knew what was going on in his head, even if he didn't want to put a title to it. So what if he…_cared_ about her? He was there, and that was what mattered.

But did Kagome love him? Was Shippo right? Inuyasha tried his best to force himself into thinking of other things, but it didn't work. Not even the thought of the jewel, or Naraku, could pull his mind away from the madness that Shippo had just created. Kagome couldn't love him, not after what happened. Maybe she could have, before the mess?

Inuyasha growled, deciding that sitting on the damn, uncomfortable couch would do nothing to get rid of the thoughts. For the second time that night, his body moved on its own accord, leading him down the hallway towards the only guest bedroom. Kagome was in there, _she was there_, so Inuyasha opened the door without thinking, his only objective was to get to her. It was pitch black in the room but her silhouette was still clear to his eyes. He quietly walked over, listening to the steady sound of her breathing. Sitting on the mattress, Inuyasha didn't know…what to do. Why was he even in here?

The half-demon blinked, looking back at the door to her room before turning to the woman on the bed, peacefully resting. It went completely against his judgement to lean down, to press his forehead gently against hers. He could feel her puffs of breath and it took a second for him to realize it was no longer steady, that Kagome was _awake_. But she didn't make a move, didn't sigh or yell or complain about him being there so Inuyasha let the moment continue, let the seconds pass as they breathed each other's air.

Slowly, Inuyasha leaned up to brush dry lips across her forehead – not a kiss, just a _touch_ – before turning and leaving.

He thought that the couch he slept on would be a rude awakening back to reality. Inuyasha realized he was wrong when he heard Kagome's bedroom door click shut as he closed it, the sound alone jarring him back.

Fuck.

* * *

The next morning wasn't terrible but it was mostly silent, and I really didn't care to make it any better. Inuyasha wouldn't speak and anything I asked was answered with mostly a grunt or a raised eyebrow. Something was clearly on his mind, his golden eyes guarded and downcast every time I tried to catch a glance. I decided that it probably wasn't even worth it, not right now when I had so much other damn shit going on. I didn't need to deal with his emotional angst; I had my own, fuck you very much.

Shippo wasn't _not_ talking, he was just choosing to be quiet. Lunch was probably the most awkward the three of us have been, and considering how the two of them acted before? This was bad. If Shippo's landline hadn't rung shrill and loud in the otherwise silent home, I probably would've started yelling at them just to ease the tension. It only put pressure on the part of me that wanted to run, that wanted to run _last night_. I have been here far too long, in the same place that the walls were almost looking familiar. I needed distance and difference and complete isolation at this point. I wanted to run.

Refusing to think about things I'd be leaving behind, I tapped Inuyasha's hand from where it rested on the table. Shippo was in the other room, speaking in a low tone to whoever was on the other end the line. If Inuyasha's problem was with the redhead, then certainly he'd open up now. "We should leave in the next hour or so, okay?"

Inuyasha nodded absentmindedly, making a noise that wasn't quite a grunt but also wasn't a hum of agreement. Moping son of a bitch, that's what he is.

"What's the matter?" I asked, cutting through the bullshit. I did not have the emotional capacity to deal with his PMS too. "You're acting strange."

"Sorry." The half-demon let out a breath, raking his hands through his black hair. The silver roots were starting to take hold again and before we went back out in public I'd need to fix them. Those were always fun times for the two of us. Surely that would raise his spirits. _Not_. "I'm good for whenever you want to go."

I nodded, leaning back in my chair just as Shippo arrived. The kid grinned at me, green eyes bright with something I didn't know of yet.

"I think I've got your problem fixed," Shippo said, taking his chair back and sitting in it. He leaned forward on the table eagerly. "I reached out to a friend of a friend who's good with cars for…certain careers. He told me the other day he'd be willing to hook me up but I just got confirmation now. If you want a car, it'll be here in the next hour."

"Really?" I cracked a small smile, unable to help myself. "What colour is it?"

Laughing, Shippo shook his head. "I don't have a clue but it'll be better than that crap I have here. So what did you want to do today?"

I could see it, right in his eyes that he was expecting something grand. He wanted to spend time, to talk, to do all the things I _wanted _to but couldn't. I had to leave now. I had to be mostly on my own, even though Inuyasha was like that constant dark shadow always looming. Somehow, he was never a part of the isolating process. He just came and was.

"I've got to go," I said, trying to be as sad as possible. I didn't want him to get the wrong idea that I didn't want to spend time with him. It was hard to explain, how I could never just be in one place. Sango and Miroku had long ago stopped questioning it, even though they tried for years. They always asked me to stay, always told me to visit them or to come back whenever I called, but it didn't matter. I couldn't. I had unfinished business and staying stationary would do shit all for my cause.

Shippo's expression fell into something eerily similar to Sango's whenever I told her the same thing. Their faces remained stoic but their eyes softened, hurt. "Where are you going?"

"To the next job," I answered. I didn't tell him that I didn't have one and he certainly didn't ask. It was smarter that way, less painful that I didn't have to give the truth.

The next hour was spent trying to get things organized. Our belongings weren't scattered but Shippo kept trying to force things on me, giving me little bits of things that could be useful if the situation called for it.

"Here."

Turning around, I came face to face with Shippo's red face and owlish gaze. That alone should have gotten me worried but it wasn't until I looked at what was in his hands that I nearly choked. "Why would I need those? _Why do you have those?_"

The owlish expression soon became stubborn, the set of his brow suggesting that I was playing dumb. I wasn't.

Or, I didn't think I was.

"Take them."

I growled. "Shippo, you are seventeen. You are _not_ going to give me a pack of– of _those_." For god's sake, now I was acting like a teenager. I could even say the damn words.

"Condoms?" The redhead laughed and then dumped them in my bag anyways, despite my protests. "_Please_, I can sense the unresolved sexual tension from here. If you love him, don't be so stupid like you normally are about relationships."

"What _relationships _have I ever had?" I demanded, keeping my voice low. Surely if Inuyasha put his mind to it, he could overhear our conversation. He was going in and out of the house, transporting some of the luggage to the front for when the car arrived. "The last relationship I had ended _very_ badly." My boyfriend had been fucking possessed, damn it, and I'd never known.

"First of all, I was speaking in a broad sense," Shippo replied, ticking it off his fingers. "Your relationships with friends were more the direction I was heading in. You can't seem to let go of them but you like to keep them at a distance the more serious it gets. Sango and Miroku are a prime example. I still remember your conversations, even from all the way back then."

I kept silent. This was old news but not something I heard often.

"Second, don't you think it's interesting the only thing you argued out of my entire statement was the fact about how you are in relationships and not about, say, that you _love_ him?"

"I don't."

Shippo shrugged. "That's okay then. I smell the crap from here, but you can stay in denial."

I wasn't going to win this one. "I don't want to talk about this," I muttered, ignoring the redhead to add the toiletries he'd been bugging me about. I had put my foot down on them up until this point, but right now I just wanted to escape. He'd shut up potentially if I just let him win the little things. I sure as hell wasn't going to let him win the big one.

When the car arrived exactly thirty-seven minutes later, I tried not to let the relief bleed into my posture. I was tempted to just grab the keys and run. Shippo seemed to sense this at least because he didn't make any more of those unhappy faces. He smiled at me, hugging me tight for a long moment.

"Take care of yourself," he said quietly. "And call me, even if it's just to leave a voicemail."

"I will," I whispered right back, actually meaning it. "Thank you for all of your help."

I turned towards the vehicle while Inuyasha and Shippo said their own goodbyes. I could hear Inuyasha groan even as I touched my hand to the sleek paint. It wasn't a Corvette, but I guessed the Acura wasn't so bad. It was the new one at least, all curvy lines and a rumbling engine. The guy that brought it over simply gave a wave, standing around Shippo's garage while everything was said and done. I couldn't be bothered to make an effort and thank the guy. I simply opened the car door, stomped on the brake and pressed the start button. Inuyasha hopped into the passenger side a few seconds later but Shippo was already tapping at my window. Smiling at him, I rolled it down. "Miss me already?"

"Obviously," Shippo responded, grinning. "Just to let you know, your compartment is the backseat. There's a latch under the middle seat's overhang. Test it out – you'll see."

Realizing that I probably wasn't going to see Shippo again for a while, I ruffled the mop of his orange hair before saying another goodbye. When I pulled out of the driveway and headed back towards the main road where the highway was, I didn't look back. There was no point, not when I was always running away. I had things to accomplish before I could fix anything head on and the only way I could do that was to defeat Naraku once and for all.

But where was he? Midoriko hadn't shown up and Astaroth had only been so helpful before. I couldn't rely on a demon, especially not when I couldn't even make a safe bet on the angel. Naraku was still in hiding, trying his damnedest to inhale one thousand demons without being noticed. Hopefully I could catch onto another lead or Astaroth would smell something out. The world was far too large for just one person to do all the tracking. A duke of Hell helped, but not all that much.

Eventually I turned up the music to some rock station that belted out loud, powerful songs. I happily sang along to most of them, if only because they seemed to fit my mood. I could feel everything stirring inside of me, a desperation crawling up my spine. I felt like breaking and bending over, letting the whole world crush me. Then again, I'd felt like that for most of my life. Now wasn't the time to get all pitiful.

I spared a single glance Inuyasha's way, wondering what he was all about. There was something heavy hanging over top of him; I could see it in the tense posture of his broad shoulders. He looked out the passenger side window, obviously lost in thought. I didn't know what I would do to learn exactly what was running through his mind, but it would probably be considerably pricey. The half-demon was mysterious and dangerous and _completely safe_, despite all of the crap. He shouldn't be safe and I _shouldn't_ trust him, but I couldn't help the way I gravitated towards him.

When Souta walked into his front door and never came back out, that was just _it_. He was gone and he hadn't even known I was there. Inuyasha had had the chance to meet my niece, something that I very well would never do. I had to survive first and then maybe…

What had Souta been doing all these years? How had he met his wife? Did they expect baby Kagome, did they plan for her or was she some beautiful little surprise that made Souta a little bug-eyed at the thought of being a dad?

I couldn't stop the assault of questions that popped into my mind, threatening to overload. My mood was shifting once more, getting deeper and heavier this time, something closer to what I had felt yesterday. It was hard to snap out of it, especially when there was nothing else happening but changes in the road. The scenery was more or less the same, more so when I pulled onto the highway and all there was to see was grass and the odd tree. Inuyasha wasn't talking and I didn't want to break this silence.

I would sit and sulk and if I stopped singing along? Well, Inuyasha sure as hell wasn't stopping me from doing anything different. There was no point in me even attempting to swing my mood another way.

Hours passed by. We had lunch before we left Shippo's and the more I thought about what I'd gained and lost over the years – mostly what I had lost – it became quickly apparent that the idea of food was almost revolting. I was nauseated, thinking about worst case scenarios and what if I had seen him, what would've happened? Maybe nothing. Most likely nothing, but could I take the chance that the demons would put two and two together? The reality was that demons could easily find out without me even glancing in Souta's direction, but they were lazy creatures that didn't like research. It was safer to ignore him, at least for now.

We had just made it into the miniscule town of Colver, Pennsylvania when suddenly Inuyasha growled deep, startling me from my daze of thoughts. "Pull over," he demanded. "Your lip is bleeding and this clearly isn't helping you any."

"What?" I licked my lips, realizing that I had actually chewed off enough skin on my lip to make tiny patches of blood burst to the surface. I'd been too busy thinking about other things – Souta, Naraku, my mother, the battle – that I hadn't noticed.

"Find the nearest place to stay and we'll spend the night. For fuck's sake, your mind is practically whirring with crazy shit. Let's just relax, okay?" Inuyasha turned his golden eyes on me then and unlike before, when they had been hidden and guarded, they were completely open. Soft around the edges, the half-demon looked so absolutely worried, almost horrified, by what I was doing to myself. It wasn't bad; I just couldn't help it. Sometimes my mind ran away from me.

I had to argue anyways, mostly for the sake of it. "I can drive at least another two hours."

"We've been on the road for seven already," Inuyasha snapped, getting irritated. "Find a place and then stop the car."

"Fine." I tried not to sulk.

It turned out that the nearest motel was three blocks away, further off the highway and closer to the heart of Colver. Inuyasha removed our duffle bags while I paid for a room, gesturing with my head to indicate where to go once I had the key in my hand. The room was clean enough so I grabbed my bag from Inuyasha, plopped it on the bed and then headed straight into the bathroom to run some cold water on my face. I wasn't tired – I hadn't lied to the half-demon – but I needed to snap out of my thoughts. There was a television in the room, maybe I could find something mindless to put on that would temporarily distract me. It wasn't like Inuyasha was going to be much entertainment, considering he was brooding as much as I was, if not more in his own silent-and-suffering way.

Thinking about it, we should probably touch up his roots. I had one more thing of it in my toiletry bag – we'd have to buy more later. I wiped my hands on the available towel and then opened the bathroom door. The first thing I spotted was Inuyasha, who was pacing somewhat jerkily along the floor by the bathroom. His black hair whipped around when he turned those golden eyes to look at me. I was about to open my mouth to ask what the hell he was so antsy about when all of a sudden he was _there_, in my space.

"Don't–" The half-demon cut himself off before shaking his head, closing the distance between us with one step. I felt his clawed hands snake around my waist, tugging me against him even as he lowered his head, eyes watching me for signs of…something. I was a bit distracted, flailing almost in the doorway of the bathroom as I was tugged into him.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing–"

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing?" I never got to answer him, not with the way his warm lips pressed against my own cold ones. Inuyasha tilted his head, changing the angle and driving me closer, making my hands instinctively wrapped around his shoulders and hold him there, as if he'd disappear at any moment. His lips were warm and welcoming, opening against my gentle licks and pleas against his mouth. I moaned when his hands slid lower on my waist, edging just over my butt as he turned and directed us somewhere – the bed, the wall, the table, _something_. Right now, I wasn't picky.

"Hey," Inuyasha said, his voice sounded wrecked. I didn't let him continue speaking, pulling at his hair and dragging him back down. I wanted to feel him. I wanted him surrounding me and making me forget. I wanted him _there_, just like he always was. If anyone could make me feel good, it was Inuyasha.

The bed bumped against my calves and I gracelessly fell down, making a high-pitched noise as I collapsed back. My legs were spread, Inuyasha standing between them with a smirk on his face. He was staring down at me, searching my body from head to toe as if he liked what he saw.

"Damn you," he whispered, bending over to crawl on top of my body. Watching him move, his tense muscles coiled and pronounced even under the thick sweater, I couldn't help but think the exact same thing. Desperately I tugged at the hem, wasting no time in ripping it up and over his head. There was another shirt under that, and I groaned unhappily while I tried to make that disappear too.

"You have too many layers," I stated, letting my words drift off once he was finally free of tops and all my fingers could touch was smooth, delicious skin. I gasped and arched my neck, letting the half-demon bite and kiss his way along the flesh while I had the pleasure of touching every inch of his upper body, the grooves of muscles and sensuous glide of hot, golden skin.

His one hand moved down my body, slowly teasing over the heavy fabric of the sweater before tugging at the zipper. There was only one way to describe what I was feeling, the impatience bubbling up in my veins and glaring at Inuyasha while he happily took his time. Golden eyes seemed to take notice and he smirked at me, hand stalling. I wanted to strangle him or kiss him; it was impossible to tell.

"Problem?" he whispered, bending down so that his breath was hot against my ear. _Damn him, damn him_.

"You're too slow."

"Why am I not surprised you're _still_ trying to fight with me?" Inuyasha asked, laughing and stopping _completely_. He bent upwards so that he was just resting on his knees, perfectly upright. If he didn't come back down here I was going to bodily haul him back, his amusement be damned.

"This doesn't have to be a conversation!" I said, giving up on the half-demon and tugging the sweater off myself. I shifted until I managed to get the fabric off, falling back down on the bed with a huff. Inuyasha had my lower half pinned with his legs and the mattress was lumpy and difficult and _why was he so far away?_ I tugged at the bottom of my shirt, squirming to get out of it when suddenly warm, clawed hands pressed down on my elbows, pinning me. I couldn't move and couldn't see, not with the dark fabric only partially off my body and covering my face entirely.

He probably planned it that way, the bastard.

"What are you doing?" Inuyasha asked softly, bending down. I could only see outlines – his face, eye sockets, the tousled hair – but no expression. If I went by the tone of his voice I'd be…confused, because Inuyasha didn't do _soft_ and _gentle_ and everything else he sounded like right now. This wasn't anywhere near chartered territory.

I sighed, trying to turn off my mind. It never did me any good anyways. "I thought that much was obvious."

Another puff of breath, but this one was nearer to laughter, though it wasn't even close. "Let me."

"Let you _what_?" I almost snapped. He was being weird – mushy and caring and, and, I didn't know what to do with that.

"Fix you," Inuyasha murmured, slowly lifting the rest of my shirt. The moment I could see, all that surrounded me was black and gold. Inuyasha's dyed hair was covering my face, blocking out most of the light from the barely-shuttered window. I couldn't look away, not when he was staring at me with such intent. Any words I planned on saying utterly disappeared, stuck behind this strange knot in my throat that refused to leave anytime soon. I didn't have to struggle against it for long because Inuyasha bent down, kissing me with something akin to tenderness – something I didn't have any concept of. His hands dragged the shirt the rest of the way off my body, his nails dragging against my skin, making me shiver.

His mouth was hot, demanding, pressing against mine as his tongue swept softly on my lips. I wouldn't deny him anything – not now, not tonight. I opened up for him completely, letting my now free hands pull him tighter to my body. Inuyasha rocked against me, the hard press of his cock insistent. There were still so many layers between us but despite my desperation it was Inuyasha who was taking control. I did nothing to push, to prod. I allowed Inuyasha to move me, to let his hands roam across my bare stomach, skimming along the edges of my bra. His teeth nipped near the top of my breast, forcing me to gasp and writhe as he licked everywhere around it.

"Sit up," Inuyasha said. His voice was wrecked, deep, husky and so fucking enticing that I didn't hesitate. The half-demon helped me up, held me with one hand while the other unsnapped my bra. His teeth grabbed the garment, dragging it away until it fell off with little prompting. My jeans were next – the buttons, the zipper, the slow drag of the heavy fabric down my legs. Inuyasha tossed it away carelessly, my socks joining seconds later. I was completely naked, lying on the bed and trying not to shiver. Inuyasha was eyeing me again, like he had all the time in the damn world.

"Why are you doing that?" I had to ask, breaking the silence.

Inuyasha smirked, hands falling to my hips. "What?"

"Staring." It came out in a bare whisper, the admittance sounding almost silly out loud. But he was, and Inuyasha was _making_ something out of it. He was looking at me with expressions that were unfamiliar, something I wasn't used to seeing on him, _on anyone_.

"Stop talking, for once," Inuyasha replied instead, sitting down on the cover of the bed. The half-demon grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer. "Come here, Kagome."

Crawling on my knees, I hesitated only a moment before taking the leap. My hands reached out, touching his face, his hair, his shoulders as I crawled on his lap. Skirting down the warm flesh, I dragged the pads of my fingers alone the seam of his jeans, popping the button. The zipper fell away as I tugged on the fabric, the cotton of his boxers visible now. Watching his eyes, large and black with lust, I circled my hand over his cock, the thin cotton layer doing nothing to take away from the heat. Inuyasha was hard, straining, and the first roll of pressure from my palm had him groaning, head banging on the wall behind him.

"You're far too dressed," I commented lightly, pushing back his boxers so that I could slip my hand in between, feel the heavy weight of his cock in my palm. I tugged gently, the dry friction making Inuyasha twitch beneath me. I had an idea but it might change the score a bit.

Inuyasha seemed to sense it, his hands stopping their bruising assault on my hips to let go. He groaned quietly as I moved away, bringing his jeans and boxers with me all at once. Now the playing field was even, Inuyasha just as naked as I was, just as helpless and desperate for this as I was. Turning around, I looked for my duffle bag and went rifling through it, ignoring Inuyasha's orders to come back. It took only a few seconds but it felt like forever, the box of condoms finally in my grasp. For a horrible moment, I wondered if Shippo and Inuyasha had _planned_ this whole thing, but the act of tossing it at the half-demon's head made me reconsider. Inuyasha's golden eyes seemed a bit confused that I even had them, the expression melting away the closer I came, turning into something burning, lustful.

I crawled back onto the bed, taking in his eyes, the flushed tone of his skin, the hardness of his dick pressing against his stomach. My hands ran along his thighs, over the bumps of his knees, never stopping even as his hands raked through my hair, pulling me closer. I had other plans.

"_Fuck_," Inuyasha hissed through clenched teeth, grip almost unbearably tight as I went down on him all at once, lips straining along his girth. Sucking, hollowing out my cheeks and trying to wring out the best possible noises, I moved up and down with short bobs, tongue lapping at the pre-come. His hips thrust forwards, nearly choking me for a moment before I grabbed at him, holding him in place and opening my jaw, going deeper, pushing my limits as I swallowed him down. The filthy noises and promises Inuyasha made above me rang in my ears, the taunts of what was to come – _I'm going to fuck you so good. Shit, Kagome. Please._

The slick sound of releasing him almost echoed in the damn room, everything so silent with the exception of Inuyasha's harsh pants above me, the words that spilled out of their own accord. I circled his cock with my hand, pumping easily with the lubrication, letting my fingers run from the base to the very tip of his cock.

I wanted him, so fucking badly it hurt. I'd been without this for so long and _waiting_ for him for so long. The last time we even came close to this seemed like forever ago, even if it was just over a month. The way Inuyasha moaned didn't help, the way his hands tugged me at every part of my body until I was fitted exactly the way he wanted me – straddling him, close to him, foreheads touching to breathe the same air.

"Stay," Inuyasha whispered, absolutely wrecked and shaking with it. Before I could answer he was kissing me, pulling me in with filthy licks and moans and thrusts of his tongue, unmistakably planning out every second of what he wanted to do to me. Claws traced down my body idly, snaking slowly lower with scratches over my breasts, my sides, my belly button. The second his finger slid inside of me, hot and solid and completely unexpected, I made the most obscene noises that I would deny later when questioned. Inuyasha was doing this to me, making me lose my mind. The pad of his finger worked slowly, pressing against every angle, making me feel him completely. He curled the digit and my eyes slammed shut of their own accord, the pressure building inside of me already starting. Inuyasha smirked against my lips, swallowing my moan as he added another finger. The come-hither motions he played against my body created an endless stereo of pleas and gasps, Inuyasha's name falling from my lips over and over, more than I maybe would've liked.

"More," I whispered, grabbing at his shoulders and trying to gain some sort of leverage. My knees protested on the lumpy mattress but I didn't care, I was past the point of caring as I fucked myself on his fingers, my own hand tugging at his hair just to make him _feel_. His cock was so close, the slickness of it staining my pale legs with every push downwards. I could imagine it, how fucking amazing it would feel when he was finally inside of me, the warmth of his body on top of me, pinning me to the mattress and fucking me like he owned absolutely every inch of skin on my bones.

Inuyasha continued to pump his fingers, pushing me closer and closer to that edge. I was wet, so fucking wet, but I couldn't be grossed out by it, not with the way it all felt. His lips made a sloppy trail down my neck, teeth scraping but never coming out to play. It wasn't until his mouthed at my breast, licking the tip of a nipple before sucking it between his lips that the pressure wastoo much, _too much_–

_Inuyasha._ "Oh fuck," I whispered, or mouthed, not entirely sure if the sound made it past the moaning that wracked my body. There was a pounding in my head, the blood rushing, _beeping – so much beeping –_ clouding my mind but never registering. Everything shut down, my body coiled like a spring, because this wasn't over, not yet and _holy fuck_–

"Mine," Inuyasha growled, low and rough, emphasized by the feel of teeth against my collarbone. I barely felt it, didn't sense the pricks of teeth as his fingers never stopped moving, never stopped pressing against the wall that had me seeing sparks, getting wet, getting completely ready for everything that was coming next.

In a flash it was all gone, fingers pulled out and dancing along the seams, rubbing sensuous circles along my clit, making everything feel so good again, too good–

Cardboard was ripping, his finger now gone to quicken the already torturously slow pace of getting the condom out, tearing open the wrapper and sliding it down his straining, neglected cock. He wrapped an arm around my waist, his free hand holding my head while he kissed me, capturing my lips and swallowing the noises of protest and desperation and _longing_ for something I'd been missing and needing from him. There wasn't time to wait, wasn't time to take things slow because I couldn't _do_ slow right now. I needed him, hard and fast and overwhelming just like every other part of our relationship.

Holding me in place and guiding me with his arm, Inuyasha bit my lower lip, tugging gently. I opened my eyes, staring at him as the golden orbs finally took notice and locked on me. There was something on his face, something I so desperately wanted to believe in, because I felt it. I could feel it in every inch of me that he touched, the inches that he left behind, the way everything changed because of him.

Damn him to fucking Hell, I loved him. It wasn't some big admission, not something I hadn't seen coming. It was obvious, so much so that my denial to Shippo was weak. My denial to myself was _pathetic_. And now I could see Inuyasha and the emotions running on his face. His eyes tracked every movement, every breath, every solitary part of me. It only occurred to me then that I didn't see every part of him and I _needed _it, _had_ to have Inuyasha completely to myself, for this and this alone.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered, the mumble a dance across my lips before demanding more, not waiting, not holding back any longer. "Fuck, you're gorgeous like this." He thrust inside, his hard cock sheathed and wrapped in me. I couldn't breathe, couldn't speak; I was filled with nothing more than _needwantplease_ echoing from my open, unmoving lips. His hold stopped me from pulling him closer, from having him as deep as I needed him. He thrust in and out, almost lazy in his pace if it wasn't purely a tease, just the tip of his cock sliding, pushing and pulling inside of me, making me almost scream with dizziness and want.

"You–" No words, no sentences, just broken thoughts. "_Please_, Inuyasha."

The half-demon didn't stop his slow assault but it was wearing on him, his chest rumbling with growls of _more_ against my lips. He pulled away, buried his face in my neck and brought his hand down between us, the pads of his fingers relentlessly teasing my clit. There was nothing I could do to stop it, to keep it going, to pull him in deeper and harder and this wasn't enough, it would never be enough. I needed more and him and _it wasn't enough_ and _fuck, fuck_–

The scream ripped its way out of my throat, hands grappling for something, _anything_ to hold onto as I came. Instead of leverage I was falling, backwards and down onto the mattress, my legs wrapping around his waist. Inuyasha growled, scratched up my thighs with his claws until one hand hooked around my leg, pushing it up and higher, closer to my body. The first slam of his hips against mine had me sliding up the bed's cover, struggling to hold onto his gleaming shoulders as he drove into me, harder and faster and deeper and _yes_, _thank god._

I threw my head back, revelled in the feeling of his cock pumping inside of me. With my leg at my chest I was spread wide, unable to move or meet him thrust for thrust, just forced to lie there and take it with nothing more than moans and profanity to urge him on. Inuyasha's growls grew worse, no words coming out of the deep, whiskey-rough noises that seemed to wrack out of his throat. The bed was creaking, noisy enough to hear but not enough to nearly drown out what we had between us, the need pulsing and alive between our bodies.

My hands slid down his back, palming his ass to shove him deeper inside of me, keeping him there, buried. I clenched around his cock, shifting in tiny circles – the only movement I was capable of – letting the sounds of my name spill from his lips drive me on. I needed him to be in me, so fucking deep that I would feel him in the morning, that he could brand me inside and out. I needed him, wanted Inuyasha so hopelessly and this was only the beginning. I loved him and the ending was nowhere in sight.

"Need you, Inuyasha, _god_," I whispered, mouth right against his ear. I felt something inside of him snap, his arms unwinding from their grip on me to plant on the bed. There was no more positioning, only the furious slap of skin on skin, his dick slamming inside of me and making me see white. I clung to him desperately, whispering his name over and over, sounding more and more desperate as his cock hit that same spot, driving me over the edge once more and clamping down around him. Inuyasha cried out, a string of profanities and my name mingled and mangled as he came, shuddering on top of me like he could no longer hold his weight.

The two of us collapsed on the bed, Inuyasha heavy on top of me. Neither of us planned on moving, and not even with my legs spread at an almost painful angle did I want this to change. The press of his thick body over me was delicious suffocation and I didn't want this to be over, didn't want to let him go.

Eyes half-lidded and full of sleep, I felt Inuyasha slowly pull out. His feet padded along the poorly carpeted flooring, moving around the room before the covers around me shifted. Warm, strong arms wrapped around me once more, shifting me to a spot under the blankets with my head on a pillow. When Inuyasha slid in seconds after, I abandoned the pillow for his shoulder, draping myself to his side.

After all of this, I didn't think I could stand for tomorrow to come. There were problems to solve, leads to chase and realizations to bring to light.

At least, for the time being, we wouldn't speak of love.

Not yet.

* * *

Consciousness was a slow drag, my mind refusing to fully wake. It wasn't until I rolled, arm thrown across cool sheets that I realized something was familiar – I was _alone _again. Eyes prying open, I blurrily checked the room. The bathroom door was open, leaving it unoccupied while the rest of the room remained empty. Where did Inuyasha go? The other bed was still untouched and my mind started to turn with black thoughts circling over my head.

The door kicking open certainly put an end to that. Inuyasha was there suddenly, growling and furious as he stormed his way to our bed.

_Our _bed.

Well, as 'our' as a motel bed could get, I guess.

"We need to go," Inuyasha said, golden eyes staring at the door like it would explode at any second.

"What the fuck is wrong?" I demanded, sitting up and tossing off the covers. As much as I didn't want to move and as much as I wanted to be shy about being stark naked, I had to let it go. Inuyasha wouldn't be acting like this if it wasn't serious. "The world better be ending."

"We had a visitor, sometime last night or this morning, it's hard to tell. The scent is getting weaker."

I paused, instantly thinking back to the beeping from last night that flitted in and out of my mind while I was vastly preoccupied with other things. Maybe that hadn't been just _me_ after all. "Who, can you tell?"

"Yeah, I'd know that disgusting scent anywhere," the half-demon grouched. "It's wolf."

"A wolf," I repeated, letting the thought circle fully. "Can you–"

"It's him," Inuyasha interrupted, already knowing exactly what I was trying to get at. "It's Kouga."

I processed that, trying to pinpoint when I had heard the beeping last night and how loud it had been. It was all a jumble but it had to have been loud for me to have blended it with all of my other thoughts last night. Still, it had been indistinguishable amongst so many other things that I couldn't be certain.

"How did he find us?" I asked, throwing on clothes. I ran into the bathroom, closing the door and doing a quick brush of my teeth. Inuyasha could easily be heard through the hollow wood barrier. I'd have to freshened up later since now wasn't a good time to leave myself vulnerable. A shower was in _desperate _order, especially after last night. The room reeked of sex. I finished brushing, spitting out the paste before opening the door. "Inuyasha, how do you think?" The half-demon didn't get out a word edgewise when my cell phone started vibrating ominously on the nightstand, making the two of us stare at it before I gave in and answered. "Higurashi."

"Kagome?" The voice was still extremely familiar, considering I'd only last heard it twenty hours or so ago. "Where are you?"

"Somewhere in Pennsylvania," I answered, giving Inuyasha a wide-eyed stare. "Are you okay? What's happening Shippo?"

"I'm not sure but…" Shippo seemed to be struggling with something. "I found…stuff here. Well, Hiroshi found it – the mechanic, the one that brought your car. I didn't notice it until after he left, sometime around eleven. I don't know when it got there–"

"What is it?" I demanded, trying to cut through Shippo's rambling. He was scared, I could tell. He knew something bad was happening.

"Fur, for sure," the redhead replied. "I'm no expert but it's thick. Some sort of canine breed I think. Demon fur though, not animal. There's also a scrap of paper but I'm not one-hundred percent certain what the writing on it means. I can guess though." Putting the cell phone on speaker, even though Inuyasha was probably able to hear it anyways, I told Shippo to read out the message. "_For Ayane – _no, Ayame_? – you'll pay_. And then, on the back it spells _Clairton_."

Inuyasha growled recklessly deep, his anger boiling over as he stormed the room, grabbing duffle bags and throwing all of our belongings together. The half-demon ran out, holding everything in his hands as he went to pack the Acura. If I wasn't behind him shortly, something was going to blow up.

"Shippo, _thank you_. I know what the message means but I have to go now, okay? I'll call you, probably in a day or so, depending on when I stop next. I will call you though, I promise."

The kid on the other line didn't sound so convinced, but he made me promise twice more before finally hanging up. I did a quick check of the room before running out, Inuyasha tense by the car even as I got into the driver's side. Within seconds, we were off.

"He's tracking us," I stated obviously, trying to make a break for the highway. It was daylight and there were tons of humans around, so surely he wouldn't attack. It was only a matter of time though and we could only avoid him for so long.

"We need to get as far away as possible, into a big city or something," Inuyasha said, hands clenching in his lap. "I'm going to fucking _kill_ him."

"He wrote _Clairton_ on the back. That's a clue," I explained patiently, hoping to not notch up his frustration. "It's a city in Pennsylvania, maybe two hours away from here. Kouga wants us there."

Inuyasha glared at me incredulously. "So we don't go."

"There's a reason," I tried.

"Your _death,_ you moron!" Inuyasha yelled, clearly getting more irritated. "Fuck wench, think this through."

"I _am_," I snapped. "Kouga needs to be taken care of and while I don't plan on walking into a trap, he's clearly got some vendetta going on. He's overconfident, playing a sick game among the humans. We can kill him, you and me, together. You're not turning human this time and it's two against one."

The half-demon's glare turned outside the window, spitting daggers at whatever happened to come into sight. "I'm still mad at you."

"I'm not surprised."

Clearly, there is no such thing as the Honeymoon Phase for us.

We'd driven about an hour out with no beeping signs on my internal radar. I saw a service centre exit and decided to turn off the highway briefly. Small towns equalled equally as small centres, so the place was nothing more than a gas station with an attached restaurant. I parked right at the front, turning off the engine before giving the half-demon a glance. "I'm going to be in the bathroom, I can't wait anymore. I'll sense Kouga before he comes – _if_ he comes – but be on the lookout anyways, okay?"

Inuyasha levelled a very pointed look at me, clearly showing how little he needed the explanation and how little he'd forgiven me since we left Colver. "Don't take forever."

"Really? Thanks," I replied, rolling my eyes. The tilt to my lips was purely accidental because Inuyasha wasn't endearing when he was pissy as fuck, thank you very much. At least nothing had changed between us, even though everything _had_. Getting out of the Acura, I booked it for the restaurant door. I didn't sense anything but I remembered that Kouga was extremely fast – faster than Inuyasha. If the demon was coming for me, I wouldn't have much time.

There was only a single table occupied when I entered, a frail-looking, tired waitress at the register. She smiled at me, asking what I needed.

"A bathroom, please?" I asked, watching her grin grow wider.

"There is only one of those here," the woman responded, lifting her hand to point at a side door. "That leads to the gas station. Ask the guy in there; he'll give you a key."

It wasn't exactly the answer I wanted but I thanked her anyways. The guy behind the register barely looked twice, handing me the key that was attached to a large wood spoon. As if that would stop me from stealing it, if I so dared. "Back door, to the left," the guy murmured, and I nodded my thanks before following his directions.

The bathroom was actually located in another small building, not much better than a port-a-potty with proper plumbing. It was clean, at least, so I went inside and freshened up. The cold water was welcome to my face, the mirror showing a reflection I hadn't seen in a long time – tired, but not bone-deep haggard like I normally was,

_Beep… Beep… Beep…_

It was faint but certainly not comforting. How the hell had he found us to begin with? Then again, it could just be any demon passing by. It didn't necessary mean it was Kouga.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep._

Faster – he was coming faster, gaining speed almost. I knew the demon was fast but that was nearly unbelievable, _impossible_ for even demon standards. As the beeping grew faster, I reached down for my Kel-Tec P-32 in my ankle holster, going through the motions of checking it. So fast now – _holy fuck_, _how fast was he running? _I couldn't waste time. Running out of the bathroom, I grabbed the handle for the gas station door, jolting when I realized it was locked. Son of a–

"Fuck," I whispered, deciding to run around the building. It was less safe than inside with other humans but hopefully Inuyasha was looking and ready for anything.

_Beep-beep-beep-beep-bee-bee-beeeeeeeeeeep._

I ran, just about to reach the front when I was slammed into the wall, head smashing into the brick. I cried out, hands going to my head. Wait, where was my gun, did I drop it? There was warm liquid – blood – and I looked up only in time to see hands wrapping around my skull, grabbing my face and then–

–_nothing at all_.

* * *

**Comments to Acknowledge**

_MsikGirl: _I WILL. I GET TO MEET DEAN. AJGFEKNGAEWNGAKWGNMEWKNGA. *dies* And thank you so much :D I hope you liked this one too!

_NurNur: _Well hopefully you were elated when you saw this one too. I know, I'll probably cry a little at the end, but it's all planned out so I'm very excited too. There are little things, you know? Thanks darling!

_IrishIndy: _IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER. This story, I mean. The last chapter was kind of a taking-forever-long to rewrite, but I'm glad you liked it anyways :D I'm always worried it's not as good. Actually, that's how I always feel when I reread what I just rewrote. Bah humbug, it's annoying. BUT. I'm happy it made you happy :D

_(): _Thank you so much hun :) That truly means a lot. I really hope you enjoyed this chapter!

_Nepenthec:_ Well I love you too. It is sad. Truly. But I'll be happy too, once it's over. I'll probably write another one of those babbling author's notes that NO ONE READS but I can't care BECAUSE IT HAS ALL THE FEELS. *coughs* I enjoy spilling feels all over the place. Thanks darling :) !

* * *

**See all the love in this chapter? Well, feedback is my love :D**


	37. Not To Be That Cliché

**Author's Note #1: **I'm a terrible person who went away and kind of left no notice, but now I'm back. With tons of stories to come. Seriously. Believe me? This chapter is NOT edited. Sorry.

**Author's Note #2: **Website will be up and functioning by SUNDAY. I will give tons of notices everywhere and to everyone that has emailed me/messaged me.

**Author's Note #3: **I need artists for my website. If you're interested, message me and see my profile.

**Author's Note #4:** IF THIS STORY WAS TO DISAPPEAR, I will create a "new story" with details on where to find the new chapter links. YOU WILL NOT GET A NOTIFICATION IF YOU DO NOT "Author Alert" ME. Favouriting/Alerting the story itself will do NOTHING.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Seven: Not to Be that Cliché**

* * *

"_Like a gift from the Heavens, it was easy to tell. It was love from above that could save me from Hell."_

_-Into the Night, Santana ft. Chad Kroeger_

* * *

I just–

I can't even–

Why the fuck does this shit always happen to me? Does the universe have some sort of Happy Meter, and when things are going good for me , some transient being starts panicking? _'Oh god, oh no. Kagome Higurashi is having an OK day. I repeat: an OK day. Deploy emergency measures. Operation: Kidnap Kagome Higurashi Using Psychotic, Mass Murdering Wolf Demon is a GO.'_

My life. I can't justify it. Really.

And why the fuck am I in a cave? How are there caves in Pennsylvania ? Are there actually? Just how exactly can one explain a cave in goddamn Pennsylvania?

At least I was alone. The cave wasn't that large, but it certainly was cold. There was still daylight streaming through the entrance, making me look down at my shackled ankles with disdain. There was a chance I could get up, but a very small chance that I'd get anywhere. Where was the wolf demon anyways? I could hear him – a faint blip on the radar, close but not _that _close. I could try to escape but at what cost when I could barely _waddle_.

The only thoughts that started to cloud my mind was the speed to which the beeping in my mind changed. Kouga was _fast_. Many demons were fast – super-speed a seeming commonality with most of them, though not all – but this wolf demon blasted through all of those records. He moved as fast as a jet, probably ripping up soft earth wherever he went. That speed was decidedly dangerous, and remembering back to when we first fought him, it just proved how difficult taking him down would be.

It was hard to kill someone you couldn't properly aim at.

It wasn't long before the beeping grew louder, faster, and I leaned against the side of the cave, trying not to feel as awkward as I did. My arms were tied brutally behind my back with some sort of leather, my feet in a similar condition. I was hunched and aching, but my mind kept me out of those thoughts as Kouga neared.

I needed a plan to survive. There was no telling what would happen, especially with the fact that Kouga dragged me to some abandoned cave rather than just kill me on the spot. There had to be a reason, even if it was nothing more than him wanting to take his time with me. Talking was always the best option.

When the wolf demon arrived, I could sense him more than hear him. He was quiet, deadly and quick, and it wasn't until Kouga came into my line of sight that I actually had the first sense-driven signs of him there. He looked haggard; it was the first thought that crossed my mind as the brown-haired demon stalked towards me. There were dark circles under his eyes and his shoulders were so tense it was visible from here.

This didn't bode well for me, for obvious reasons.

"Did you get my message?" Kouga asked, stopping just inside of the cave's entrance.

"Loud and clear," I replied, letting the venom lace my tone. "You're a sick bastard, you know that?"

The wolf demon sneered, seemingly deciding to take in my position. More than pleased by it, Kouga cocked his hip out and crossed his arms, feigning nonchalance. This– It was shit like _this _that drove me insane. The games and the mind control and all the crap that demons loved to pull. I was tied up and pretty much defenceless, and all Kouga wanted to do was ignore me. What the fuck was that all about?

"So what, you're going to kill me in some cave where no one can find me?" I demanded, scoffing. "That's not exactly your style. Considering the body count you've been leaving in your wake, I'm surprised no one found my dead body at the gas station."

Kouga smiled at me then, very much looking every inch the predator that he was. This was certainly a game, but less cat-and-mouse and more like chess. One move and then another, until someone's king is cornered. Clearly, I was already without a queen and retreating one space at a time. "I'm not going to kill you."

"Really?" I asked, sarcasm evident. It was probably best to try and remain calm, to keep the half-demon talking, but I couldn't let him know I was biding my time. I'd have to walk a fine line in hopes that I could figure something out before Kouga decided enough was enough. "You're just going to keep me here then as your dirty little secret? Let me starve until I beg you to release me?"

"It'll hardly be that long." The demon looked outside of the cave entrance, grin still firmly in place. "Your pathetic dog demon is coming and you can't die until I force you to watch me tear him apart, bit by bit. Half-breed, isn't he?" Kouga laughed; a throaty, awful sound. "That only makes it easier."

I knew right away what this was all about, and a sick feeling washed over me. "Ayame was her name, right?"

A ferocious growl echoed in the cave, bouncing around my skull. Suddenly my head was slammed into the hard, rock ground, making dots line my vision. I could still see the startling blue of Kouga's eyes though and the pain that laced through them. "You don't say her name!" he yelled. This was a man on the edge, someone who was about to implode. There was crazy in Kouga's eyes, his arms trembling even as they pinned me. I couldn't push too hard or he'd snap me in half.

"Killing Inuyasha won't bring her back," I gasped out, his hands now around my neck, holding me down. My hands were tied behind my back, making my abilities useless.

"No, but I'll have the satisfaction of watching you suffer the way I suffered. One lover for another," Kouga spat.

I stared at him in shock for only a moment before coughing, trying for a distraction. It didn't work.

"Oh please," the wolf demon started. "His scent is all over you and it's not just from proximity." Kouga loosened his grip on my neck, standing up. "It's only a matter of time before he comes."

And Inuyasha would too. "He doesn't go down easy. You won't beat him. Last time you caught a break only because he was human."

Kouga shook his head and by now I couldn't see his expression, his head turned towards the cave's entrance. "I don't have a choice. Everyone's dead now, all because of you and your fucking half-breed. All of them murdered for blood."

My head was screaming at me, trying to reconcile the words and the rage. "All of who?"

"My pack!" Kouga screamed. This time, he stayed away though his fists clenched in anger. "All of them killed by some demon-sucking monster. I wasn't there to protect them because I lost–" He cut himself off, abruptly snarling. "It doesn't matter now."

"It does," I said, loud enough to make the wolf demon look at me. "The man that killed your pack, was his name Naraku?"

Kouga growled, and before I could say more he punched the rock wall. Tiny clusters of stone fell, cracks evident when the wolf demon pulled back to glare at me. "Is he another one of your friends?"

"I'm out to kill him," I answered, trying to convey every shred determination I had. "Naraku's the top of my hit list. I want out of Heaven's deal and killing him is the only way to do it." The dark-haired demon hesitated for only a moment before shaking his head, stalking outside. I couldn't lose him, not like this. I had to try to reason with him, for if Naraku had killed his pack – his demon allies – then there was common ground. There was a way to get out of this, to gain leverage. "Kouga, you have to listen to me. I am the _only_ one that can kill him. He has the Shikon no Tama, you _have _to know this or sense it. I am the only one that can defeat him."

Another loud snarl, but Kouga didn't reappear. I cursed, because _fuck_ I needed to work fast. Inuyasha surely would find me soon and then I'd be stuck here watching the two of them battle it out. As much as I told Kouga he wouldn't win, I had absolutely no guarantees. Kouga was a demon driven with nothing to lose, and that was a very powerful drive.

There was a sudden laugh and I knew right away – not because of my internal radar but because of pure gut instinct – Inuyasha was here. Kouga was finding this far too amusing and Inuyasha's growl could be heard from anywhere. I tried not to wince at the sound of it because I'd heard him angry before but _this_– This was Inuyasha hell-bent.

"You fucking wolf, come here!" Inuyasha yelled.

I twisted with my binds, trying to move forwards but to no avail. I couldn't see either of the demons, not from my position here. They were fighting already goddamn it, and I was stuck helpless like some fucking damsel. "Inuyasha!" I struggled against the bonds, wishing that my powers could magically become laser beam powers. Or leather melting powers. Or you know, anything else. "Inuyasha!"

There was growling, louder this time. The radar in my head kept track of the wolf demon, movements shifty and sporadic until suddenly there was…nothing. A constant, steady rhythm echoed in my skull; there was no motion at all.

"Inuyasha!" I tried again. I hadn't heard anything but Kouga's still body could mean either of them were down. The wolf demon could simply be savouring the bloody view.

"Kagome?"

I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, shoulders sagging with relief. "I'm here," I called out, listening to the faint sounds coming from outside. Suddenly the half-demon appeared in front of the cave entrance, black hair highlighted by the setting sun and those golden eyes taking me in. Not to be a cliché with the whole "damsel in distress falling for her saviour" thing, but seriously. I love him.

Dear lord, it's actually happened.

"You look hilarious," Inuyasha said, jumping over to untie me.

_Hilarious? _"Ex–" And I just thought of how much I loved him. Fantastic. "Hilarious?" I exclaimed, finally catching my voice and turning when my wrists were free. I glared at him, hard. What was funny about me being fucking tied up? But it was then I saw the look in his eyes – worried and _scared_ – and oh god. I'm totally done for. Totally, totally done for. This was beyond ridiculous and treading into the Land of Fluffy Rainbows and Glowing Hearts.

For fuck's sake.

"Thank you," I whispered, rubbing at my raw wrists. At least leather wasn't as bad as rope. "Did you take him out?"

"You have to do the honours, but he's unconscious," Inuyasha murmured, still staring at me _like that_. How was I supposed to be functional and–

"Get down!" But it was too late, far too late. Kouga was there, snarling and tackling Inuyasha into the rocky cave wall. I twisted, feet still bound, goddamn it. Inuyasha was grabbed again, forced face first into the ground but struggling. Kouga grinned at me from on top of him. "Told you I'd make you watch."

And that was _it._

Hands free, I reached out, anger fuelling me as I grabbed his black heart. The connection was instant, amazingly strong, and I gave it the lightest of tugs to get the wolf demon's attention.

Kouga's eyes went wide, startled, and it was all Inuyasha needed to throw his elbow back. Hit right in the face, Kouga snarled as Inuyasha kicked back, flipping them over. The half-demon had the upper hand, tugging the wolf demon's neck back.

"Do it!" Inuyasha yelled. "Come on, now!"

But there was a plan already in my head, forming and whirling around. This could be Plan B. There was always a Plan B. "Knock him out."

"Kag–"

"_Knock him out!_" I yelled. Inuyasha no longer hesitated, pulling his arm back and punching the wolf demon right in the face.

* * *

"You _what_?" Inuyasha asked me, eyes impossibly wide. "Run that by me again, please."

Rubbing at my newly freed ankles, I sighed. Of course nothing could be easy. "Naraku killed his pack of…demon followers, I guess. He slaughtered them for his sick ritual. We _need _allies against him, Inuyasha. Naraku's stronger now, pretty damn close to reaching his quota and we have nothing."

"_You're _stronger," Inuyasha argued. "We can do this."

I needed a new tactic. This wasn't working. "Naraku is a powerful, powerful future demon and it's just you and me. He has friends, doesn't he? Other demons of Hell to do his bidding, just like Belphegor. Who do we have? Potentially Astaroth, but I seriously doubt it. We _need _allies in this. You have to see the sense in that."

"Sesshomaru will fight with us." Inuyasha crossed his arms and then grimaced. "Probably."

"Fantastic, three against how many?" I raised my brow, looking for answers. "We don't know what we'll be walking into when we find Naraku. The more prepared we are, the better. Kouga is angry and he's bound to have other contacts, especially if he had a pack. He could work."

Inuyasha's growling was a clear indicator that I was failing at this. He ran a hand through his hair, the silver roots showing horribly. I still needed to take care of that. "So what, we just let him go now and hope he'll come when we call?"

"He'll come, if he agrees to help," I answered. "There's always Plan B if he refuses."

"And that is?"

"Kill him." I shrugged, looking over at the subdued wolf demon. He had only been lightly knocked out last time, but he'd been passed out for an hour now. I didn't particularly have fond feelings for the cave, but it was as good as any to try and get Kouga on our side. "Look, he says yes and he's bound by revenge and bloodshed, just like you were. He's attacking me now out of desperation and pain. The minute this battle is over and Naraku is dead, he's someone else's problem."

Inuyasha sighed, the first real sign that I was getting to him. "And the people he kills in the meanwhile?"

The question hit me hard, mostly because there was nothing to say to that. If Kouga killed anyone before Naraku, I couldn't do anything. After Naraku was defeated I'd be free of Heaven and…I wouldn't do this anymore. What if no one caught him? What if– I blinked _hard_, squinted my eyes and tried to focus.

Fuck. Fuck fucking _fuck_.

Before I could answer, a low growl echoed through the cave. Kouga was finally waking up and now was the moment of truth – Plan A or Plan B. Because that's all there was. I can't save everyone, no matter how badly I want to. Sparing Kouga may result in more human deaths, but could help to defeat Naraku who would ultimately kill everyone anyways if I were to lose. Killing Kouga would result with less human deaths now, but could I defeat Naraku? And if I failed… _Shit_. I couldn't think this through, not without making myself sick over it.

There was no good answer, and there certainly wasn't an easy one.

Inuyasha went up to the wolf demon and kicked him in the stomach, just for a friendly hello. I glared at him, trying to stave off the claws that I knew the half-demon wanted to sink into Kouga's stomach. The wolf demon was already bound by the same leather straps that had been on me, but it was my powers that I used to keep him in place, to warn him about what would happen if he dared to move.

"Kouga, we need to discuss something," I started, watching as blue eyes blinked hazily and then looked at me. He was wincing, probably from the recent kick. "I need you to pay attention."

"Call off your fucking dog and then maybe," Kouga replied, shooting Inuyasha a dirty look. It was justified, although I was leaning towards my half-demon on this one.

"Inuyasha does what he wants," I replied. "But you making me happy doesn't hurt your chances. You know of Naraku, correct? He slaughtered your…pack?" Kouga growled at the name, or maybe just at me in general, but the acknowledgement was there. "I told you before that it's my duty to kill him. I won't get into the gory details, but I'll never be free if Naraku isn't dead. He's my target. His name is originally Onigumo, a human who dabbled in dark magic. The ritual is his namesake, and the process will conclude with him turning into a full demon." I paused, taking a few steps closer despite Inuyasha tensing by my side. "He killed your friends because he needed them to complete the ritual. He needs one thousand demons, and he's close to it. Naraku's rebirth will mean the destruction of this planet, and the corruption of Hell."

Kouga stared on, disinterested. "I've heard of his plans, but what the fuck am I going to do about it? I'd kill him as soon as see him, but the bastard's hiding. I lost his trail almost immediately, so if you're looking for that I ain't got shit."

"I have others working on a location," I answered, thinking of Astaroth with disdain. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about you helping me, along with any allies you have, when I find him. I _will_ find him."

The wolf demon shook his head then, slow at first before he started laughing. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and kicked him in the stomach again, abruptly ending the chortling voice. I sighed. Maybe I should just stick with Plan B, for all this is doing for me. "So what, I help in the future and you'll let me go now?"

"That's the plan," Inuyasha muttered sarcastically, clearly displeased.

He was _not _helping. "I'll be keeping tabs. I have friends too, and they'll know where you are. You promise to help me and I'll spare your life. When the battle is over, it's fair game again."

"Friends?" Kouga asked, raising a brow.

"A Duke of Hell and his future-telling sidekick," I responded lightly. "I can ask his sidekick if you plan on double-crossing me too. Either way, you commit to this or you die. Pick."

"Those aren't real fucking options!" Kouga yelled, snarling the moment Inuyasha got closer again to kick him. For a second I swore he was going to run, so I tightened my grip, pulled the strings connecting me to his heart. The wolf demon growled louder but bowed his head, wincing. "Fuck you," he snapped, pissed off. "You killed _her!_"

"She was going to kill me," I responded matter-of-factly. It wouldn't help, but anything I said now wasn't going to. "It's about survival. I won."

"_Fuck you_," the wolf demon repeated again, only this time he sounded small, worn out. He looked up, blue eyes daring and fierce. "I will help you, but only so that when it's all over I can kill you."

Chances were I wasn't going to make it out anyways. "Fantastic. You'll get revenge for your pack and revenge for your murdering wife." I twisted my hand, toying with the strings. "I'm serious Kouga. If you dare to cross me I will kill you in a second. I'm not even _touching you_ right now, and I can send you right back into the pit. I also have this one," I said, motioning with my head towards Inuyasha, "who wants you dead anyways. I don't have anything to worry about, but you sure as hell fucking do. I'm giving you three seconds to run, and you better be gone."

Kouga was livid, eyes narrowing. "You didn't see me coming the first time."

"You're right," I replied, nodding my head slightly. "I won't underestimate you again, thanks for that." Tapping my head, I ended the connection, freeing him. "My radar will let me know you're gone, so I'd start running."

Inuyasha growled at my side, the ever faithful companion, and my hand twitched with the urge to touch him. Even if I stopped slaying demons when this was all over, I was pretty sure Inuyasha was going to rip the wolf demon apart anyways.

Kouga ran, as expected. It didn't take long for the beeping to fade out, the furthest of blips. I slowly let the tension drain from my shoulders, turning to face the half-demon that was glaring at me expectantly.

"What?" I asked, tired. My afterglow had been ruined, I had been kidnapped and bashed into a wall, and I had made a rocky alliance with a wolf demon that wouldn't rest until I was dead. So far today was less than stellar.

"You're a fucking moron," Inuyasha snapped, clearly pissed off. "I think you are dumb as rocks for letting him help you, and I'm furious you didn't let me at least _stab him_. He took you and it scared me and _fuck you_, why are you so calm right now?"

I closed my eyes. Seriously? "Can we just go to the car now, please?"

Inuyasha opened his mouth, undoubtedly to yell at me more but instead he just scooped me up and started to run.

* * *

"I'm still pissed off at you," Inuyasha whispered, biting just under my jaw. "You're _infuriating _as fuck."

After grabbing quick and tasteless food, the first hotel room we could find I stopped at, letting Inuyasha get the room key while I tried to arrange our stuff in the new Acura. Our duffle bags had been in a serious need for reordering and cleaning, but I had dragged them anyways to our room.

Inuyasha had been on me since the moment the door started to swing shut. And now, writhing on the bed with my hands in his hair and his lips on my collarbone, I tried to let the day fade away. The room was dark and filled with shadows, the sun having set. We hadn't even turned on the lights before we collapsed into the bed. The half-demon was filling my mind, ridding my senses of the things that were solidly lodged in the past. Here and now it was just us, just this tiny hotel room where we could hide in the dark and pretend that no one was looking for us, no one was after us.

"Come on," I whispered, tugging off his sweater and shirt with difficulty as he tried to undo his jeans. It was a rush to undress, to feel skin on skin and the slick slide of heated mouths. Inuyasha was on top of me, cradling me in his arms and boxing me out from the world. It was like he was hiding me and I couldn't repress the shiver as his hands skirted down my sides, tore at my clothes and left them somewhere forgotten on the floor.

There was no time for foreplay, no time to drag it out and memorize bodies. This was fast and quick and desperate, the need building even as my legs wrapped around his body, pulled him closer to me. Inuyasha slid inside with no pretence, no teasing. His cock filled me up, ended words that were left incoherent and stumbling. There were whispers and promises, things said in the dark that may never be repeated, never remembered.

It was with his arms wrapped around me tight, hands cradling my head that I came, a sigh that was wrecked and needy and pleading all at once. I clung to him, held on for dear life as Inuyasha continued to push inside, rocking our bodies together. It was shallow and jolting, ins and outs that had me gasping and begging for him, keeping him close so that he'd never go away. With my name on his lips, the half-demon shuddered and fell, nuzzling into my neck with words that I'd never hear or question.

"You can be mad at me all you want," I whispered to him finally, when we were lying together side by side, mess taken care of and ready for sleep. "I can't change."

"I know." Inuyasha sighed in my hair, scratching lightly along my arm. "I really didn't expect anything different."

"Is that…bad?" I winced at the sound of my words, because yeah, maybe it was bad. I didn't know. I hadn't had a solid relationship since…well, not really ever. When Inuyasha didn't respond, I propped myself up on my elbow, staring down into his golden eyes. "Inuyasha–"

He silenced me with a kiss that was chaste, hand pressing me back down into the mattress. "Don't be stupid," he mumbled. "I already told you."

_You're human and it's the most beautiful thing about you._

I shivered and wrapped myself around him. This was us, in this dark and random place. He was furious and I was broken, but in the end we would make it out alive. We should make it out, at least.

We _had _to make it out.

* * *

**Comments to Acknowledge**

_Anonymous_ (there are two of you, but the replies are self-explanatory to which is which): THANK YOU SO MUCH :D You are the sweetest thing. And I'm honoured, really, that you would say something like that. So thank you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_Anonymous:_ Thank you! I'm very aware of the problem - my profile feed of random crap and rants probably answers that - but I am making my own website instead of moving to another archive. It's simpler for me and less hassle for the readers (well, I think so, maybe not). I appreciate the heads up anyways.

_Pabeikez:_ Haha well this couple can't have a happy moment. It's just not them, sad to say. Umm...Jakotsu isn't really integral - at all - in this story, so I haven't determined his sexual orientation. Possibly? I don't even remember the chapter when I wrote him - although I have a vague sense he said a few things. So right now it's up to you and if he becomes a bigger character to this, I'll write it as I see it. Thank you :)

_Nicole:_ HAHA YES. At first I read your comment and was so confused, but YES she is back. The Corvette, sadly, didn't make it. But she's back ;) Thank you!

_MsikGirl:_ I can't PM you back, FYI, so that's why I always respond here! I promise not to collapse into a puddle of goo when meeting Jensen Ackles and Jared Padalecki, although I may not be able to guarantee that promise. Thank you darling though, for the lovely comment :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter.

_Cole:_ You read it straight through? You're as bad as I am ahaha. I do that too with long fics, so I'm delighted that you found this worth your time. Thank you very much hun :D

_Dae_: AW! I'm so AWKWARD with lemons. They HATE me. I'm trying to write a separate PWP and it HATES MEEEE. But, ahem, that's totally off topic. Thank you, really, because I truly appreciate that. Since I have a hard time with them, I'm glad you think they don't utterly suck. It makes my day :D Sorry if I made you wait too long though!

_LadySparrow:_ You are so dear to my heart, seriously. Morning afters are just not possible here. MAYBE ONE DAY :D Maybe... The ending is near too, don't remind me! All of my stories are ending and it's sad. So I'm absolutely pleased that you enjoyed the last chapter, hope you liked this one too!

_IrishIndy:_ Thank you darling! I'm delighted you liked it. The story is wrapping up soon - getting there at least. Some days I think it'll never end haha. I sincerely hope you liked this one too!

_MidniteOni:_ ...*peeks out from rock* HI? Haha, thank you so much darling. I think it's still kidnapped, because Shippo is still a child with a really good fake. But! If Inuyasha got kidnapped then maybe it could be man-napped (?) *ponders* I do apologize for how long this took :( I really want to be faster.

* * *

**THERE NEEDS TO BE A TECHNOLOGY THAT CONNECTS TO YOUR BRAIN SO THAT YOU CAN THINK OF A STORY AND IT WILL WRITE ITSELF. YES. DO THAT SOMEONE.**

**...I'm sorry. But if this was real, I'd write a full story like every two days. With one-shots in there for fun every other hour. MY GOD.**

**And now I need to sleep because I'm tired and itchy from the plane ride. So goodnight everyone. Again, sorry for a) the lack of editing and b) my poor updating skills. *sigh***

**Feedback is love, and really, I love you all.**


	38. More Than a Liability

**Author's Note: **I would like to ask that no one kill me for this. How long it took to post (I cringe) and how it ended. Yeah. Also, unedited. Because I suck like that.

**Website Update: **This chapter has been posted to my website. Also, for those that _don't_ know Pennies and Dimes is there as well - which will not be posted to my FFN account.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Eight: More than a Liability**

* * *

"_I won't stay long in this world so wrong. Say goodbye as we dance with the Devil tonight. Don't you dare look at him in the eye, as we dance with the Devil tonight."_

_-Dance with the Devil, Breaking Benjamin_

* * *

I woke up entirely too warm to be comfortable. There was something heavy on my chest, keeping me grounded. Opening my eyes slowly, I blinked at the sliver of light shining through the faded curtains. An arm was wrapped around me, my legs tangled in sheets and Inuyasha's body. The half-demon was still by the side but his breathing was too shallow for sleep. "Morning," I murmured, stretching along the mattress.

"Mmph." The half-demon didn't seem nearly as coherent as I was, despite the fact he had probably been awake for longer.

Pushing lightly as his shoulder, I tried to roll off of the bed. "Let me go to the bathroom before my bladder explodes."

"I'm so glad I'm awake for this," Inuyasha mumbled, moving his arm to bury his face further into the pillow. "Stay in bed. We never get to stay in bed."

I smiled down at him, looking at the half-falling sheets and the way his skin stood in contrast to the white linen. His black hair was everywhere – the pillow, the sheets, tangled around his arms – and the silver roots were horribly showing. I needed to take care of that. "I'll come back to bed. I just need a minute."

Inuyasha grunted something but I merely rolled my eyes and went to the bathroom. The mirror stared back at me, pointing out all of the things I didn't necessarily want to see. I hated people that commented on how they _changed_, how the right man could make them different, look different, see themselves as different. I didn't look different – just debauched, quite frankly. How would I further comment? Were my eyes sparkling a little more? I'd probably worry if they were. That just led me down a road of demonic possession and self-exorcism. We really didn't need to go there.

Bending down, I splashed cold water on my face to get rid of the lingering heat. Inuyasha was like sleeping with a furnace. I grabbed the towel and wiped away the rest of the droplets, letting the monotonous work ground me to the fact that this was okay, things were _fine_. This was…a normal morning. Nothing was blowing up and no demons were chasing us and…this was a normal, domestic moment.

Okay. I could do this.

Pulling the bathroom door open, I made my way quickly back to the bed. Inuyasha hadn't moved from his position, clearly still in that semi-conscious state that wasn't sleeping but wasn't coherent either. He shifted ever so slightly when I laid down on the bed, one golden eye opening in a squint.

"Took you long enough."

"Don't ruin this perfectly fine morning," I stated, fiddling with the sheets. I was still hot, but the idea of lying down completely naked irked me.

Inuyasha chuckled, moving so swiftly that I had no time to react. Suddenly he was on top of me, arms pinning me to the mattress with a strange expression on his face. "You're nervous. Why?"

"I'm not nervous," I said. I tried not to look away. Squashing down the immediate protest bubbling in my throat, I took a breath. "Well, I wouldn't say nervous."

"Then what would you say?" The half-demon looked at me, somewhat mocking but mostly curious.

"I would–"

_Beep... Beep... _

I'm hardly surprised by this at all. "A demon's coming."

Inuyasha hesitated for only a moment before the confusion fell from his face. "How fast?" he growled, and I couldn't tell if the exceptionally low rumble was from morning disuse or frustration.

"Not slow, but it's certainly not Kouga coming back to slaughter me," I answered, rolling off the bed yet again in search of my gun. The heavy weight of it felt reassuring in my palm, even though I let go of it moments later to get dressed. I didn't have time to search through my duffle, instead putting on yesterday's clothes. "Tell me when you hear something."

Inuyasha nodded, standing by the door and hidden from the windows. "Do you think it's passing by or what? Should I go out there to try and find it?"

"It's certainly coming closer so I doubt that's a coincidence." The beeping in my head was getting faster, the blips with fewer spaces of silence in between. I slid my jacket on, almost finished. "Whoever this demon is, it's coming for us."

"Astaroth?"

"He usually enjoys poofing like a genie," I muttered, shaking my head. "Someone else but my list is way too long to narrow it down." Everything was together and ready, so I clicked off the safety and shouldered the duffle bags. "Let's move out."

Inuyasha was pressing close to me as we exited the motel, his body ridged and muscles tense. Just as I was approaching the Acura he stopped, huffing out an aggravated breath. "That fucker."

"Excuse me?" I fiddled with the keys and unlocked the trunk, throwing the bags in. My radar suggested the demon was quite near, less than a minute away. "Have you got an idea of who it is?"

Golden eyes rolled before he looked towards the sky. "Unfortunately." With the direct sunlight overhead and few clouds covering the vast blue, it was hard for me to see. It wasn't until Inuyasha shifted, grounded himself, that I finally caught sight of flowing silver as it crashed to the earth.

My gun was raised and aimed before I could even see the demon properly, firing off a shot the second I realized how close it was to Inuyasha. The sound of the gun almost had me flinching – someone _had_ to have heard that – and the urge to run was just as strong as the urge to stay and fight. "Inuyasha, move!" The demon moved so fast that I couldn't tell if I hit my mark or not, but there were black dots on the gravel below, a good sign. Suddenly, whatever was there was...running.

The half-demon merely turned towards me, golden eyes narrowed in what looked like suspicion. "Did you just shoot him?"

"What the fuck do you mean _did I just shoot him_? How the fuck do you think I've survived for so long if I didn't shoot first and ask questions later?" I demanded, holstering the gun. "Now come on, we need to drive. The owners had to have heard that."

"You shot Sesshomaru." Inuyasha grinned. "This is possibly the best day of my life."

"Get in the fucking car!" I yelled, the name not registering. "We don't have time to talk about this."

Suddenly, arms were wrapped around me, dragging me to the front seat. Inuyasha pressed a hand to my lips, silencing any further argument I could come up with. "You drive, I'll find you. The demon is _Sesshomaru_, my half-brother. He's back and that can only mean one thing."

Frowning, I listened to the radar in my mind growing louder with each passing second. Sesshomaru was coming back. "The demon that killed your father, the one Kagura was talking about–"

"Ryukotsusei," Inuyasha confirmed, nodding. "Sesshomaru must have found him. We need to find Ryukotsusei, Kagome. He's definitely in league with Naraku right now."

"You don't think Sesshomaru is going to be a bit mad?" I asked, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm. I took a few steps away, pressing against the door and getting ready to bolt. The owners of the place must have heard so it was time to run. I didn't like the fact that Inuyasha said he's _find_ me though. There was no actual plan, nothing for me to hold onto.

"He'll be furious." Inuyasha smirked, opening the car door and gesturing for me to get in. "Don't worry, I'll handle–"

Before the words could leave his mouth, Inuyasha disappeared. There was a blur across the gravel parking lot, my car door slammed shut, and I realized in horror that Sesshomaru had just _tackled_ Inuyasha. This couldn't lead to anything good. It couldn't.

Turning on the car, I slammed it into drive and took off. There was a jolt as my back tire ran over the curb, the car swerving to make the turn as I peeled back onto the road. I needed to get away from here, but not too far. The highway was still a necessary option, so all I could do was pray Inuyasha really would find me in time as I took the ramp onwards. Traffic was non-existent at this time but speeding off would look far too obvious. I blended in with what few cars were on the road, growing worried and impatient moments later so I ended up passing them anyways.

Lawful driving had never been my forte when under pressure.

There was a knock on the window.

Snapping my head to the right, I stared in part confusion, part horror at Inuyasha. Who was running beside my car. In the middle of a goddamn highway. I checked the rear-view mirror and realized that there weren't any cars around, but that didn't mean someone wasn't going to come up. The half-demon smirked at me as I slowed, pulling over to the right shoulder to stop. I unlocked the doors.

Getting into the car, Inuyasha kept the door open, as if he was about to vanish again. "There's a service station two miles from here. Pull in there and we'll talk, okay?"

"If someone saw you, there would be trouble," I stated matter-of-factly. "Did he find Ryukotsusei?"

"We'll talk there," Inuyasha repeated, sliding out and slamming the door. He gave me a half-assed salute before jumping into the air.

Son of a bitch, really.

I tried not to fume the very short few minutes I had alone, but the moment I parked the car in the corner of the service station I had to admit I still was. Inuyasha was nowhere to be found, and neither was his half-brother. My radar beeped inside my head, a louder pulse than when I was driving but not much more. They– _he_ was still quite a bit away. I wondered where I shot the demon, although it clearly had little to absolutely _no_ effect whatsoever. Sesshomaru was powerful then.

The beeping grew louder.

"Okay, so he's a bit annoyed," Inuyasha stated suddenly, stepping in from behind me and nudging my shoulder. "But I think I managed to make it so that he's more pissed off with me. It wasn't hard but frankly, a bit insulting."

I didn't turn my head, but my eyes darted towards him to get a better view. The radar was loud now, nearly deafening, but all the half-demon did was tense. He knew but apparently there was a truce going on. "You two battle it out the second you see each other and you're insulted it's easy to anger him?"

Nudging me, Inuyasha scowled. "You're supposed to be on my side, wench."

"The fact that you want a human slayer _on your side_, as you put it, shows just how far you've fallen," Sesshomaru's cold voice interrupted. I turned to see the demon in his glory – all flowing silver hair and golden eyes that were startlingly familiar and yet completely different.

"Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, fuck you," Inuyasha spat without heat. "We good to go or what?"

"Go where?" I demanded, crossing my arms. "You haven't even told me what's going on."

"He's gotten wind of where Ryukotsusei is going to be next, so we're going to go and have a little rendezvous," the half-demon explained. "But we're a hell of a lot faster than you driving so from here I'm going to have to carry you."

"Oh this just gets worse," Sesshomaru muttered, staring blankly towards the highway. "We agreed that the human was _not_ to come."

Inuyasha growled. "And I said that she was _coming_."

"Why?" Sesshomaru asked. His voice wasn't raised; it was flat, monotone and deadly. "So that she can get hurt and you can lose focus? Your human blood makes you weak. I would've thought by now you'd have learned that lesson. Oh – wait, that's the point of the jewel, isn't it?"

I studied the demon, noting that if he had a variety of tones that last sentence would've been mocking. What was worse was the fact that we _hadn't_ gone over that, hadn't figured out exactly what our motives were anymore. I was to kill Naraku and to get my freedom back – that never changed. But was Inuyasha going to become a full demon? Would I have to fight him in the end still? I didn't believe that, I couldn't.

"You know we can't kill him without her," Inuyasha growled, low and dangerous. "You're just far too high on yourself to admit it. If you want to attempt to slay the Valac demon then go ahead. Get your ass sent back and tortured in Hell. I don't give a flying fuck. But if you want the revenge that simmers in the back of your mind, then you need to cut that prissy bitch-ass shit you've got going on there."

"Prissy bitch-ass shit," Sesshomaru repeated dully. He stared at me for a moment and I couldn't help but feel like I was being thoroughly assessed and x-rayed. "I assume you don't teach him to speak like that."

"Broken before I got him," I replied, giving a half-smile.

"Fuck me," Inuyasha mumbled, under his breath. Grabbing my arm, he gently lifted me until I was lying across his back, holding on. "Can we just go?" Nodding his head, Sesshomaru jumped into the air, nothing more than a blur of silver in the bright afternoon sky. Inuyasha took one look at me, his hand coming to rest where both of mine were linked around his neck. "Are you ready?"

"Depends on where we're going and how long I'm going to have a heart attack for," I responded, raising a brow. "You never did give all the dirty details."

The half-demon smirked. "Canada."

Oh goodie.

* * *

Three hours. It was three hours of my life completely and totally wasted. The most I could do was close my eyes and pretend that I wasn't flying through the air, no I totally wasn't, and that if I let go I wouldn't plummet to my death and die from a broken neck. I voiced this to Inuyasha.

"I'd catch you, wench. Why are you so worried?" he asked, in typical Inuyasha format.

I pointedly refused to look down and even more pointedly refused to answer.

It still _felt_ like plummeting, however, when we actually made our final decent. Sesshomaru was ahead – too far for me to see but I knew Inuyasha was following him – but the silver hair became clearer and clearer the closer we got. I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to breathe. It didn't help at all.

"He's not here."

The first three words make me open my eyes, Sesshomaru ignoring me in favour for Inuyasha. Slowly I let go, sliding down until I was back on my own two feet. We were at some factory – it didn't look abandoned but there was no one milling about. "Are we ahead or behind schedule?" I asked, remembering that the silver-haired demon had heard of Ryukotsusei's future plans. We may still be able to make it.

"Hmm." Turning with a flourish, Sesshomaru walked across the parking lot. Inuyasha gently put his hand on my back, pushing me forward so that I didn't just stare dumbly the entire time. The demon was _cold_ and blunt. His conversational skills were sub-par at best.

"Can you hear anything?" Inuyasha asked me in a low whisper, hurrying me along.

I frowned at him. "You mean my radar? Just your brother."

"_Half_-brother," Inuyasha muttered, looking displeased. "Also, I need you to stay behind me, got it?"

"Behind you? Where the hell are we even?" I hissed, twisting so that the half-demon was no longer touching me. "We landed at some factory and we just expect Ryukotsusei to show up here like we called and arranged his murder ahead of time?"

"This isn't just a _factory_." Rubbing a hand down his face, golden eyes glared at me pointedly. "There's a specific reason why Ryukotsusei would come here."

"Jaken, open this door," Sesshomaru ordered to seemingly no one. He stood at the brick of the building, with no person and no door in sight.

"Who is Jaken? What reason? You've told me _nothing_."

"As he should have," Sesshomaru stated blandly, shifting so that his eyes only briefly landed on me before looking away. I wasn't even worth the time of his eyeballs. "You're hardly more than a liability."

"We've been _over_ this," Inuyasha growled.

"Just explain what the fuck is going on, I don't care who does it!" I exclaimed.

Of course, it was then in the midst of a potential brawl at the brick wall screeched, moving to the side mechanically. My head started to pound, the radar blaring loudly so that I had to squint my eyes and cover my ears. None of it did any good and holy shit what the fuck was going on? "Inuyasha," I gasped, gritting my teeth through the pain. It was like fire burning through my veins, scorching me from the inside out. My knees were weak, head a mess and I grabbed onto something – an arm? – to keep me from falling. "What–"

"Shut the goddamn fucking door!" Inuyasha said. Maybe he screamed it, maybe not. I couldn't tell, the pounding far too loud to give me any sense of measurement. I needed to make it stop, needed to stop what assault was attacking my senses. Reaching out blindly, the black heart of another demon pulsed. I grasped for a connection and it was there – hazy, as if I couldn't touch the edges but only catch them with a nail – and the strings wound their way between my fingers.

"Stop her, you fool. She'll blow our cover."

"Shut the _damn door_!"

Instantly, there was silence. With my eyes clenched shut I waited for the pain to come back, my body still vibrating from the anguish.

"Lord Sesshomaru, a demon slayer? How could you bring one, do you not–"

"Silence, Jaken," Sesshomaru ordered, the command hazy in my head.

There was murmuring beside me too, "Kagome, open your eyes, okay? For fuck's sake, let me help you."

Opening my eyes, I rubbed at my temple with my free hand – the one that didn't have a death grip on Inuyasha. Giving a small frown to the half-demon, I looked at what was most definitely a toad demon leaning against the brick wall where the doorway once was. He was green, with big bug-like eyes and was probably no taller than three feet. Sesshomaru stood across from him, eyes focused ahead and mouth a tight line of impatience. "There are demons in that building," I murmured, voice scratchy like I had been screaming. "A lot of them. Where the hell are we?"

My question had been directed at Sesshomaru, but it was the green toad demon that responded. "You're mistaken. There are no other demons here but me, witch. Now go!"

I could've reached out and showed him just how likely I was to respond to a statement like that – it was bad enough I was called a wench, now a _witch?_ – but my head hurt far too much from the last echoes of my radar. It had never been so loud before, so disabling. Normally it's a warning, enough to get my adrenaline up and pumping but _this_. The number of demons to make it so loud, so painful, had to be in the hundreds.

It didn't matter that much anyways, because Inuyasha shook his arm free and punched Jaken in the head, growling. The toad demon fell and cried out, rolling seconds later back onto his feet and behind Sesshomaru.

"My Lord, stop him, please!"

"Kill him," Inuyasha hissed, golden eyes narrowing.

Sesshomaru merely spared a glance in my direction, as if to say _this was all your fault_ before grabbing Jaken by the loose brown clothes he wore. The toad demon flailed but then stopped the moment he was thrust in my direction. "The woman is with me, Jaken. Now, I have matters to discuss. Bring us in."

Jaken didn't look pleased but he nodded solemnly anyways, being lowered to the ground before scrambling towards the brick. I took a hesitant step closer, Inuyasha coming to block my path. "You have to stay out here unless you think you can handle it again," the half-demon explained, looking at me seriously.

"Where the hell are we?" I asked, trying to look far less confused than I was. "How many demons are here?"

"Silence, witch!" Jaken screeched again, stopping in his path to the door to wiggle a finger at me. "You shall not speak if you want to live!"

Inuyasha seemed to be using some great restraint because the most he did was clench his jaw in response. "This is a demon nest, a haven of sorts for bad things. It's kind of like a human bar, only we don't serve alcohol."

From the look on his face, I didn't want to ask what was actually served. The information was interesting though because while demon slayers had always assumed they had existed, no one could ever find them. Now I knew why. "I can't hear anything though. My radar is silent," I said, brown eyes reverting to the door that Jaken was now fiddling with. "Until he opens the door–"

"There's a seal," Inuyasha explained quickly, looking at Jaken and Sesshomaru before grabbing my arm. "Prepare yourself, okay? We'll be quick but you'll have to stay here."

"No, I'm–" But the door opened then and the high-pitched wail in my head was back. I couldn't hold back the flinch, the instinctive response to shut down. Inuyasha gave me one last look before disappearing inside, the spot where his hand was on my arm too warm. Just like that, they were gone.

When the noise was gone I took a step forward, body tense until I assessed the situation. There were a ton of demons here, I knew it, but were any nearby and not inside? I doubted Inuyasha would've left me had that been the case but I listened anyways. Moments passed without any indication that something was near, so I slowly made my way to the brick wall where a door was, eyes roaming the dirtied red brick for clues. Inuyasha had said there was a seal, but what sort? I knew there were seals for demons, drawings that could stop them from moving, from passing, from walking. But for demon slayers?

Of course, it made sense. Anything demonic could surely be stopped using a seal, so why should anything heavenly be any different?

Squinting my eyes, I took another step closer where some of the brick to the left of me was chipped away. There was a tiny white line, written in what looked almost like chalk. Rubbing my finger across it, I realized it was permanent – not chalky or rubbing off. The line was actually a squiggle of sorts with two lines slicing across at an angle. Touching it, I started to look to the right, drawing my eyes in a direct line across until a few feet away I saw another line. It was similar in nature, the same lines crossing through. _This_ kept demon slayers out? Something made me look further, my hands tracing along the brick until I found another line even further to the right, almost at the other end of the building.

It was a circle. Looking down from my vantage point at the corner, I realized there were little white lines almost like a border around the warehouse. It wasn't easy to see at all, but since I knew exactly what I was looking for I could find them – those damn squiggly lines. Grabbing my phone I took a photo of one of them, wanting to show Miroku and Sango. Maybe I could send this to some other slayers, show them what to look for. If these symbols could overload our radars and bring us to our knees, it could put a lot of us at risk.

Stepping back, I crossed my arms and stared at the spot where Inuyasha disappeared. How long exactly was this going to take? I wasn't exactly famous for my patience. I wasn't famous at all but if there _was_ something patience wouldn't even make the top ten. I figured it would take at least another few minutes. Whatever Sesshomaru wanted inside for was probably important. A meeting maybe? Information? I could only guess since Inuyasha wasn't exactly forthcoming.

Was this the area that Ryukotsusei was going to hit? We had yet to even determine what exactly he was doing for Naraku; converting? Dragging limp demon bodies to Naraku's feet like a good dog? What? Even if he was just scooping the area, this would be a hotspot. So many demons at once would be perfect for Naraku, who was trying to absorb as many–

It was a tingle at first; the hair on the back of my neck rose while my muscles tensed. Instantly there was beeping, my radar a fast-paced, steady thrum of noise. There was a demon, one that came into existence much like Astaroth did, not too far from me. I turned around, scanning the area. There was virtually nothing around but factories, warehouses and the occasional black plume of smoke off in the distance. There was no one around, the paved street devoid of people and cars.

Except for one.

There was a man, looking to be in his early forties with slicked-back black hair and tanned skin. He was wearing tattered jeans and a dirty beige shirt. He wasn't looking at me; his eyes were kept down to the ground as if he'd fall the moment his gaze wandered. Even without radar he was suspicious, in the way that the man was clearly trying to _not_ be, and alarm bells rang violently along with my radar.

It had to be a demon, but which one? Ryukotsusei? Another demon that came to this apparent hot spot for demons alike?

He was inside of a human, controlling it, so there was only one option I had. "Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino. Qui fertis super caelum–" What happened occurred far too fast to rationalize. One moment I was speaking the words needed to exorcise him, to free the human, and then the demon _looked at me_. Grey eyes, piercing and deliberate, locked with mine as a slow smile crept to its face. The next I knew there was a hand on my throat, that smile mere inches away, and I couldn't speak. My throat was being crushed, squeezed supernaturally by the demon wearing a human shell. I couldn't talk – could run or yell – and I reached out, desperate for a connection but nothing came. I couldn't purify a demon inhabiting another body, and Inuyasha was inside of the demon club with probably no way of knowing that I was in trouble.

_Fuck_– Pain rippled down my body as I was thrown into the building. Black dots were lining my vision even as I scrambled to get up, get away, open the door and get help. How did this door even open? There had to be something – a password, a trigger, _something_. Before I could crawl, heavy boots stomped down on my fingers, vividly loud cracks echoing in the otherwise silent night. Burning, searing pain ratcheted up my arm like a torpedo, making me choke on a scream before it could even fully form.

"Kagome Higurashi, a pleasure," the demon said. His voice was like sandpaper, rough and deep – far too low for the human body it was possessing. "I didn't expect to meet you so soon. Of course, it was only a matter of time before our paths crossed."

I opened my mouth, tried to demand who he was. Deep in my mind I knew – _Ryukotsusei_ – but it hardly mattered when nothing came out. Aching and sore, my throat wouldn't allow me to comply. All that managed was a hiss of breath, a cough that made my spin rigid from the shooting pain it caused. It was getting harder to breathe – near impossible – and every gasp just hurt more.

Ryukotsusei laughed. "And I thought you'd be tougher. Although, you don't have that half-breed following you around. You make quite the story." His foot finally removed itself from its position on my hand, but before I could bring it in – _broken bones, colouring skin_ – I was kicked, rolling away from the building.

_Regna terrae, cantate_– _Say it, say it!_ But I couldn't. There was nothing but pain and the black dots were growing, larger and larger–

"Oh no," the demon murmured, slapping me across the face and jolting me from my daze. "I need to know what you know about Naraku. Tell me and I may just let you die a little more peacefully. Otherwise, I'll keep you going for hours. I can cut you, make you bleed out for as long as I very well desire."

Shaking my head, I tried to look up at Ryukotsusei. _I know nothing_.

Another slap, but this time nails bit into my skin, scratching along my cheek until blood bubbled up to the surface.

"I…" It hurt, oh fuck it hurt. "I d-d-"

My body flew backwards when he kicked me again, this time around my ribs. I barely had time to curl in on myself before the next attack came, a sharp stomp to my chest again. I cried out, unable to distinguish pain from my throat or chest.

"Tell me!" Ryukotsusei yelled, bending over to grab my face.

I shook my head, tears prickling in my eyes.

Standing up straight, grey eyes briefly flickered to red before the cruel smile came back. "Very well. Naraku will be pleased regardless."

This time, when his boot came down on my chest, the crack was enough to hurtle me under into lulling blackness.

* * *

"Kagome! For fuck's sake, Kagome! Kagome, wake up! _Kagome–"_

* * *

_You've waited far too long. The prophesy should have been fulfilled._

_Next time, you cannot be saved._

* * *

**Comments to Acknowledge**

_HDR:_ Wow, thank you so much! I'm so pleased that you're enjoying this story. I apologize for such a terribly slow update.

_Guest:_ Thank you dear! I'll certainly try to keep up the good work - and updating faster. That would be a good thing too!

_Guest:_ Endlessly, by the Cab? I will definitely listen to it right now! Thank you very much :D I'm so happy you liked it. Hopefully this one wasn't too bad either...

_Guest:_ You loved the writing? Aw shucks. Thank you so much :) Hopefully this one didn't disappoint!

_Sami199:_ You were totally signed in as a guest but you had your little awesome sig at the end and I was all AH HA! Thank you for the welcome back, although I totally disappeared again which was not cool at all. You're the best ;)

_IrishIndy:_ Hello dear! Yes, there's a bunch of crap going on in this story, although the fatalistic bit was pretty dead on haha. Hope you liked it, even though I took so long :(

_Anonymous:_ I'm glad I'm back too, even though I totally disappeared again *cries* Hope you enjoyed, and thank you!

_SimpleGift96:_ Wow darling, thank you so much for all of the encouraging comments! I hope you liked this chapter :D

* * *

**So, I AM TERRIBLE. A terrible, terrible person who took forever and I CAN'T BELIEVE I FAILED SO BADLY. **

**FORGIVE ME?**


	39. Don't You Worry, Child

**Author's Note: **Not edited, sorry.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Thirty-Nine: Don't You Worry, Child**

* * *

"_Looks like the Holy Ghost is gone. Now you're afraid of yourself. Over your shoulder you have to watch Heaven fall into Hell."_

_-Angels Losing Sleep, Our Lady Peace_

* * *

**INUYASHA**

* * *

Leaving the demon club had been difficult, solely because Sesshomaru was yet again being a pain in the fucking ass. Inuyasha huffed and snorted and drove his half-brother out when it quickly became apparent that the information they needed wasn't there. The demon they were rendezvousing with for details had yet to show, and Ryukotsusei clearly hadn't made an appearance.

But then Jaken opened the doors back to the outside.

At first, he hadn't made the connection. There was a smell in the air, something tangy that he couldn't quite place. It was so faint, hardly noticeable, but nothing raised the red flags until he called out her name. "Kagome?"

There was no response, making Inuyasha tilt his head and look around.

Seeing her body on the ground, unmoving, is what made alarm bells scream.

He was by her side in a moment, hands hovering over her body. There were scratches along her arms, one of them twisted strangely to the side. Blood trickled down from the side of her mouth and her eyes…

"Fuck, fuck, _no_," Inuyasha whispered, fingers going to her throat. "Kagome!" There wasn't a pulse. "Kagome! For fuck's sake, _Kagome_." His hands moved to her chest and it was only then that he felt it, the way bone gave away, clearly broken. Inuyasha gently ran his hands over her, under her breasts where her small ribs wrapped around her body. They weren't just broken, they were _shattered_. "Kagome," Inuyasha murmured, "wake up. _Kagome, please_."

The sound of pants rustling barely registered but Sesshomaru's deep voice shook the half-demon out of his shock. "She's dead. Surely, you can tell."

Inuyasha growled, vicious and furious as he bent over Kagome's broken form. "_Fuck off_, right now or so help me–"

"Your attachment to the human woman is pathetically aggravating. I told you she should not have come because she was nothing more than a liability. And here we are, with a dead body that's not yet cold and your whining over a worthless death," Sesshomaru stated, brisk and without affection. "Ryukotsusei did this. He can't be far."

The half-demon didn't move, frozen over her with his black-dyed hair hanging over her bloodied face.

"Inuyasha, we leave now."

A dark chuckle escaped his lips, far colder than anything Sesshomaru could've let out. "Oh no, I'm not fucking going _anywhere_. Ryukotsusei is fucking gone and you know it."

"We can find him."

"It's a lost fucking cause!" Inuyasha screamed, looking up for the first time at his half-brother. "I left her alone for fifteen goddamn minutes and she's _dead_."

"This is what feelings get you," Sesshomaru said. "They make you–"

Leaping up from his spot, the half-demon lunged at Sesshomaru. Claws extended, Inuyasha went for the throat, feeling warm skin part under his fingers. He had gotten him by surprise but Sesshomaru was fast – far faster than Inuyasha, compromised as he was – and he quickly broke Inuyasha's grasp. Sesshomaru threw him down to the ground, harsh asphalt knocking his head but he hardly cared. Rolling, the half-demon swept his leg at the demon's knee, body surging upwards to shove Sesshomaru's weight over so that the both of them were on the ground.

"That's enough," Sesshomaru hissed, using the barest of movements to force Inuyasha back down with both hands around his neck. "You're clearly too far gone. It would be far better for the both of us if I just killed you now."

Inuyasha gasped, choked breaths making it sound like laughter. His hands struggled to claw at Sesshomaru skin but even the punctures didn't lessen Sesshomaru's grip. Black blood poured from his arms and shoulder as Inuyasha tried to rip him apart with no avail. The demon above him only snarled, eyes red and glistening. Inuyasha struggled, his hands moving away from hurting Sesshomaru to instead trying to loosen his grip. There was no air in his lungs and his body felt like it was on fire. Head swimming and chest burning, Inuyasha fought as hard as he could to throw his older half-brother off. Black dots began to line his vision, his mind making desperate attempts to get air back into his lungs but nothing he could do made Sesshomaru stop.

And then suddenly there was air.

Sesshomaru's hands were on his own chest, red eyes wide as he rolled to the side. A small, lithe figure soon followed, the woman's hands out and reaching for the demon's chest.

"You will _not_ touch him," she screamed and Sesshomaru let out a grunt of pain, more than Inuyasha could even remember hearing before.

The half-demon's mind, still hazy and slow, finally pinpointed the voice to the person, her name ringing over and over again. Inuyasha reached out, feeling long strands of black hair and an arm that was no longer twisted. "Kagome?"

Kagome's body stilled but she turned her head, staring at him. "He was going to kill you," she whispered. "And I don't know what the hell is going on because one minute there's a demon I don't know and the next I'm on the ground and Sesshomaru's trying to kill you–"

Sesshomaru's body arched, shock and pain lining his features as Kagome poised above him, her powers thrumming between her fingers and his black heart. "Stop this," he gasped, throat constricting around the sentence like it nearly killed him to do so.

The demon slayer was still looking at Inuyasha though, eyes screaming fear while the rest of her looked assuredly calm. "Make one wrong move and you're dead," Kagome replied, getting off of Sesshomaru before letting the connection end. In one smooth movement, the dog demon was suddenly back on his feet, body crouched too low to the ground. His eyes were still red-tinged but his gaze was focused solely on his half-brother.

"You're choosing the human path," Sesshomaru stated, sounding for all the world like he hadn't been mere moments from death. "You will die because of it." Just as quickly as he had risen, Sesshomaru leapt high into the hair and across the sky, vanishing in seconds from their line of vision.

The seconds afterwards were horrifyingly quiet. Inuyasha couldn't help but stare at Kagome, wondering what the _fuck_ was going on? The question must have been clear in his expression because the demon slayer just shrugged, her black hair blowing in the tiny breeze. There was still blood on her face but the scratches were gone. Her arm was fixed. Her ribs were… She was _okay_.

"I don't remember," she whispered, sounding scared. She shook her head and then took a breath, composing herself. "Last thing I remember there was a demon, my radar was acting up and I knew…"

"It was Ryukotsusei," Inuyasha answered. Slowly sitting up from the ground, the half-demon held her gaze. Those big brown eyes didn't part from his golden ones and for one terrifying moment Inuyasha thought that maybe Sesshomaru had killed him, or nearly killed him, and he was hallucinating or this was a dream _or_–

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Kagome asked suddenly, breaking through his fear.

Inuyasha couldn't help it; he laughed. He let his head fall back between his shoulders as he let the anxiety fly away. "You were dead," he said between breaths. "You were fucking dead and I was about to go and kill just about everything in sight because you were _dead_."

Walking over to him, Kagome sat down in front of him, her crossed knees touching his. "I died," she murmured, not really a question. "Are you…?"

Abruptly the laughter ended, the half-demon leaning forward against his will. "Your ribs had been shattered and probably punctured your lungs, your heart… Your eyes were _open_ and you were just staring at me without a pulse. You were dead. I left you alone for fifteen fucking minutes and that's all the time it took for you to get killed."

"It was hardly my _fault_," Kagome snapped. She frowned, crossing her arms. "I don't even remember what happened but I probably fought the demon–"

"Ryukotsusei."

"–off."

It was hard to stop his demon instincts from seeping in, the quick way he reached out and grabbed her, pulling her to his chest. She probably hadn't even had time to react, not with the speed he did it at but it hardly mattered because she was _fucking alive_. It took mere seconds before Kagome's arms wrapped around his middle, her face buried in his chest as she hugged him back.

"You were dead," Inuyasha whispered, unable to think of anything else to say. "I just…blanked."

"I don't remember," Kagome repeated, muffled against his jacket. "I don't remember anything."

His clawed hand brushed through her hair, his lips pressed against the crown of her head. Not a kiss, just pressure, because Inuyasha wasn't too sure what exactly he was capable to handling right now. He'd never felt something so consuming, so fucking terrifying that it broke down all of his mental processes until it was just the basic level to _kill_, to _hunt_, to _fight_. It was the demon blood in him. He wondered what his eyes had looked like.

* * *

Tired, sated, Inuyasha's body crashed down on mine, arms encircling my head as if to hide me from the rest of the world. I just let my hands run over the smooth panes of his back, the muscles that were slowly loosening as the tension seeped out of his body.

And then suddenly I wasn't in bed at all. I was back on the hard ground, asphalt uncomfortable on my bones. I couldn't move, frozen in place while red eyes grinned at me, a sickening smile covering an average face. "How can you save the world now, slayer?" the demon – Ryukotsusei – murmured, far too smug.

_You've waited far too long. The prophesy should have been fulfilled._

_Next time, you cannot be saved._

Every inch of my body screamed with pain.

Gasping, I abruptly sat up and looked around, seeing the motel room Inuyasha had insisted we stop at before we went back for my car. We were still holed up in Canada, in some town that was tiny and barely existent on any map. There were just grey walls around me, white sheets falling down my naked body and an arm tightening around my waist, tugging me in.

"What's the matter?" Inuyasha asked quickly, golden eyes scanning the room. I couldn't see his ears – not with the spell – but if I had been able to I'd imagine they were straining to listen in to anything moving, anything out of place.

"Dream," I whispered, trying to slow my heart rate with a couple deep breaths. "I…I think I remember a bit of what happened." The arm around me tightened once more and it occurred to me then that ever since he pulled me to his chest outside of that abandoned factory, he hadn't once let go. There was always contact, never ending. I knew it should have bothered be but at the moment it was nothing more than a solid comfort.

"Want to talk about it?" Inuyasha asked, frowning even as he said the words.

I shrugged. "Not much to remember, really. But I'm pretty sure it was the angels that fixed me – not that the list of contenders was very long to begin with."

"And?"

_You've waited far too long. _"We need to hurry up and kill Naraku." _The prophesy should have been fulfilled._

_Next time, you cannot be saved._

Inuyasha let out a breath and then tugged me on top of his chest. His warm lips danced along my throat to my jaw, making their way across and to my mouth. He smirked at me, eyes focused only on his target. "Do you need a distraction?"

"Don't you need at least another twenty minutes?" I asked, vaguely incredulous. How long had I been sleeping?

The half-demon snorted like that was some kind of joke – and hell, maybe it was – but his kiss was soft and gentle, nothing heated about the moment at all. His thumb brushed across my cheek, sliding down my arm, my side, my back. He was…touchy. Something was clearly very wrong.

"I need to go to the bathroom, let me up," I said, smiling down at him softly. For a split second his arms hugged closer, like he wasn't intending on granting me my wish, but then they loosened just enough for me to escape.

Inuyasha was still in bed when I got out, silver-rooted hair spread out across the white sheets. He looked tense, even though there was no expression on his face. Eyes closed it almost looked like the half-demon was sleeping. "So do you have any plans?"

The question startled me, and I looked at Inuyasha's blank face for a second before responding. "I want to look back at the journals we got from Onigumo's residence. That has the most information on the ritual that we're going to get. There must have been something I missed the first time because I wasn't looking for specific details. Maybe there's a way to stop this."

Inuyasha nodded absentmindedly, his one long arm reaching out to beckon me back to bed. I came, trying to ignore the part of my brain that thought of how _obedient_ I was about it all, and crawled under the covers as soon as I got near enough. His arms encircled me on the way down so that I was partially lying on his arm while the other was loosely draped across me. The touching thing again. I tried not to wonder about it.

"Why did Sesshomaru try to kill you?" I asked quietly, burying myself closer and twisting so that my head rested on his chest.

Inuyasha didn't make a sound, but I could tell without even looking that he was certainly making a face. "I did try to kill him first."

"What did he say?" I clearly asked the right – or wrong – question because the half-demon immediately stilled beneath me, holding for about four seconds before relaxing. Idly to soothe him I traced patterns along his chest and stomach, brushing across soft trails of silvery hair and over the dip of his navel. I was so focused that for a moment I forgot I had even asked a question, the rumble of his chest bringing me back to the conversation.

"My human side makes me weak," Inuyasha said, just as quietly as my question had been. "I'm lesser because of it, more prone to mistakes and miscalculations. I lose focus on goals if my emotions outweigh them."

I tilted my head, brushing a kiss along his ribs. "Do you believe that?"

"Completely," the half-demon replied, without hesitation.

The honesty hit me like a freight train and I had to bite down on my tongue to stop from saying anything remarkably stupid. The fact that I was making the effort to do so was a little bewildering, but the moment here, in the bed wrapped up in each other, was something I didn't want to end – not just yet. Instead of speaking, I closed my eyes and stopped my incessant invisible doodling on his body.

"It's why I went after jewel, obviously," Inuyasha continued. Whether he realized I was trying my very best not to snap, he didn't show an indication of it. "The jewel would give me the ability to be a full demon and the power that comes with it."

This time, I couldn't hold back. "Just like Naraku."

"It's different," Inuyasha said gruffly, his head tilting on the pillow to look down at me. "He was a human. He didn't understand the difference like I do."

"No, it's the same," I stated, trying to keep my tone light and casual. "It's still power-hungry. It's still being something other than who you are. It's still all about hurting the people who have been with you from the start in the process."

Inuyasha growled. "I don't have anyone," he retorted, stilling almost instantly before his arms wrapped around me tighter. "_Didn't_."

Looking up at him, I gave him a pointed glare. I could see the way his golden eyes tried to convey something unreadable, something hidden in those intense depths that lulled me in. "If you become a full demon, I'm going to kill you because _you won't be you_. Don't make me do that, Inuyasha."

"Kagome, you don't–"

"_Don't make me do it, Inuyasha_," I snapped, still managing to keep my voice even, to stop this from getting out of hand. "You are the only fucking thing I have, the only consistent aspect of my life that I have had since my father died and I had to run away. Do you get that?" Inuyasha just stared at me, waiting, listening. The expression on his face and the pinched lines around his mouth suggested he was just milliseconds from arguing, from saying something that would probably make me want to strangle him, so I bulldozed right through. "I don't think I could kill you," I whispered, pushing up so that I could rest on my elbow. "Not- not now, after all of this. But if you make me do it, then I'm sure as fuck not going to survive either."

And I could see it – the flashes in his mind, the memories of me broken, wandering, lost, _dead_. I could see just how that processed through his mind and painted a picture. I was not a strong person. I was not brave. I _survived_. Before him, that's all I did. Now, I just barely meet more than the standard level of _living_. But I would not make it out of whatever fucking forest or field or abandoned building this battle took place in if Inuyasha used the jewel for his own purposes.

But I had to hit it home. "You came into my life because you wanted to know how to kill me, right? Well, is it easier now that you know?"

"Don't say that, for _fuck's_ sake, don't say that," Inuyasha whispered, sounding pained and angry all at once. "I would never–" Cutting himself off, the half-demon used his strength to hoist me up, bringing my face and body closer so that I was lying on top of him, so that he could devour my mouth with licks and bites and stop everything we were discussing.

I clung onto him, just letting him take whatever he wanted, whatever he needed. Maybe if I gave enough, he would never, ever leave.

* * *

It was taking a painfully long time to get back to my car in the States. We left first thing in the morning, early enough that the sun was just rising. Both of us were rested from our previous day in bed and by this point I was raring to go. I wanted my car back – even if it wasn't my baby – and I wanted to get to the books that I knew were in my trunk. There had to be a clue there. There had to be _something_.

Now we were sitting in some breakfast and lunch place, our waitress smiling far too brightly and winking at Inuyasha every once and a while. With his hair properly dyed back to black, he looked a little less creepy now that the roots were gone.

"This is delicious," Inuyasha mumbled around a mouthful of waffles and maple syrup. "You should have ordered this."

I raised a brow at him, fingers tapping on the table. "I see that," I replied, trying to keep the smile out of my voice. "Are you going to be done any time soon?"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes at me but shoved another forkful into his mouth, seemingly compliant.

"How much longer until we get back to the motel?"

"About an hour?" Inuyasha guessed, shrugging. "It won't take too long and we'll book it out of there before the owner decides to charge us an extra night."

"I like how you think."

It took far too long for Inuyasha to devour his waffles but eventually he was done and we were taking off. The half-demon complained the entire way about being far too full for such extensive activity but I thought it was a just punishment for time not particularly well wasted. But soon enough we were off and running, faster and faster, and I hid behind his hair because the feeling of flying was far too much for me to handle.

It felt like a millennium had gone by, but that was probably my deep-seated hatred to travelling demon style. The sight of my new baby – my Acura – in the faraway distance was a welcome relief. Resting my head on Inuyasha's shoulder, I braced myself for the final jump, feeling the swoop in my stomach as Inuyasha leapt.

"You'd think after this long you'd be okay to keep your eyes open," Inuyasha commented, smirk evident in his voice.

_Oh_. I opened my eyes and tried not to scowl. "I don't feel like I should be this high in the air," I said, forcing down the urge to yell. His demon ears would pick up whatever I said even if I was whispering.

"We went over that I wouldn't drop you."

Warily I eyed the ground far below us, trying not to make a noise of complaint due to my unease. We were desending and it was really goddamn difficult to not imagine us falling _splat_ to the ground. That said, I didn't cheer and kiss the earth the moment we landed maybe two feet away from my car either. No, I had a _smidgen_ of dignity.

"You have to get over this," Inuyasha stated, rolling his eyes.

"Excuse you but I will not." Grabbing my car keys from a box under my wheels, I unlocked the vehicle and hopped inside, staring at the motel office door just in case. "We'll stop at the nearest hotel after a half-hour."

"Can't wait to strip me down already?" the half-demon asked, golden eyes flashing intently.

"Can't wait to get into those notebooks," I corrected, grinning.

Inuyasha stared at me for a moment, dissecting. "You're jumping on this too eagerly. There's a really good change that it won't have an answer, you know that right?"

I shrugged, keeping my eyes focused on the road. "Well, considering the fact that I wasn't supposed to die if you stayed with me, and considering the fact that I actually did die, I'd say I'm really running out of time."

"What do you mean staying with me was supposed to stop you from dying?" Inuyasha asked, voice low and carefully worded. It was like there was a sudden tension in the car and I had to force myself not to grip the steering wheel way too tight.

Well. This was a conversation I had studiously managed to avoid this far.

I shrugged again, buying time. "It was something I learned a while back."

Inuyasha wasn't accepting my bull. "How far back?"

"A couple weeks ago, or so."

"Or so."

I glanced at him quick, only to confirm that he was glaring at me and that this conversation was certainly not ending anytime soon. "It's why Astaroth beamed you into Boomerang's. He had his puppet Aamon see my futures and apparently without you, no matter what, I would die."

There was a long, painful moment of silence. Inuyasha wasn't looking at me now, instead focusing his attention on the road ahead but there was a distinct set to his shoulders that didn't suggest anything good. After about a minute and a half, I moved my hand to turn on the radio.

Bad idea.

"Are you fucking _shitting _me?" Inuyasha yelled, sounding far too loud for this car. "Stop this car."

"I can drive and yell at the same time, trust me," I replied, keeping my tone as even as possible. "I'm pretty sure we've done this before."

"You knew this entire time?" Inuyasha demanded, furious. "And even when you knew – _you knew_ – that you could die because I wasn't there you still pushed me away?"

"Um, I'm sorry," I started, sarcasm lacing in with my tone, "last time we had really talked in depth I learned you plan all along was to _kill me_. So, really, I figured I was dead either way."

"You–"

I slapped his arm, still keeping my eyes on the road but just trying to stop him from talking. "You fucked up, remember?" I asked, forcing myself to remain mostly calm, _forcing_ myself not to fight. "You fucked up and I was really, really fucking hurt. Was I stupid? Probably. But think of it this way, I wasn't going to get my way anyways because that's why Midoriko made me get in a car crash so…there."

"I want to shake you so hard right now," Inuyasha stated bluntly. "You have a death wish. Maybe we should talk about that."

"I think we shouldn't talk _at all_," I muttered, seeing a turnoff that had signs for lodging and taking it. We were maybe in the car for ten minutes but I didn't care. All I wanted was out because if we remained in the car much longer I might actually have to stop it. "I'm tired. Are you tired?"

"Well, I did just run from Canada so yeah, I guess you could consider me tired," Inuyasha replied, making a face.

"Oh goodie, well then, let's have a nap so I can suffocate you with a pillow when you're sleeping."

"You wouldn't just shoot me?" Inuyasha smirked. "Don't you just like the up close and personal touch?"

"I could purify you." Stopping at a red light, I turned to narrow my eyes at the half-demon. "It looks painful."

"But then you'd be gone of me for good."

"Oh, the horror!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "You find me too attractive to get rid of."

I hummed non-committedly. "I guess you'll find the truth out tonight then, won't you?"

There was a flick at my ear just as the light turned green and ahead I could see two different hotel signs in the distance. I made a face at him.

Maybe we wouldn't be so bad after all.

The hotel was a little more expensive than what we normally went to but I was already committed to stopping. I sighed as I handed over the credit card information, knowing that the moment we left I would have to cut up the card and ditch the account. Another one bites the dust.

Inuyasha met me at the elevator, holding the door open with a raise of his eyebrow. "Aren't we moving up in the world?"

"I'm still irritated with you," I pointed out.

Sighing, the half-demon's mouth tightened into a line. "And yet, you were the one who purposely put yourself in a deadly situation because you didn't want to see me."

"And again, at the time, I was still mad at you for wanting to kill me."

…_And here we go again_.

We were on the third floor and luckily the elevator stopped and opened for us at that moment. I stepped through the doors, ignoring the pointed glares from Inuyasha behind me and walked up to our bedroom. At least it was a far nicer room than what I was used to, so the death of an illegal credit card wasn't so much of a hardship. I jumped onto the bed, flopping down and wrinkling my noise when I realized the mattress wasn't _that_ great. The bed bounced and suddenly Inuyasha was there, lying on his back beside me.

"Still want to suffocate me?" Inuyasha asked.

It was like he was _asking_ me to get furious with him. "No," I stated firmly. "But keeping bouncing this mattress and I might."

Snorting, the half-demon raked a hand through my hair and ruffled it, letting out a breath. "Let's never runaway to Canada again."

"Last time I checked, it wasn't my idea. I, also, would've taken the car to–"

My head was suddenly screeching, the radar blaring in my mind. I winced but sat up, reaching down to my ankle to get my small piece from the ankle holster. With the demon so close my radar was useless to pinpoint where exactly it was, but there was no need when a familiar childish figure was suddenly standing a foot away from the edge of the bed, bleeding and wide-eyed with a blank expression.

"Kanna?" Inuyasha asked, pushing off the mattress and moving closer to the small demon. "What the fuck happened?"

Kanna tilted her head, her pale hands clutching at the mirror she held. She was bleeding from her legs and stomach but with the layers of white filmy nightgown I couldn't see the wound itself. "You have to…see," she whispered, voice so faint it was barely audible.

"See what?" I asked, the exact same time Inuyasha repeated his previous question. It was then that I noticed the ends of her white hair were stained black from the blood pouring out of her. Was there a cut on her back as well?

"See," Kanna repeated and then instantly, everything started to swirl, my mind screaming with a different sort of pain as my body…drifted.

When I could open my eyes again, I wasn't in the hotel room.

_Kagome…_ It was Inuyasha but he wasn't _speaking_. He was there but not, and as I looked around I had the _feeling_ that he was there but couldn't see him. All I saw was a woman, badly beaten and spewing black blood, chained against wall.

"Where is she?" a dark voice hissed and I shuddered, feeling cold and nauseous. "_Where is she_?" Naraku yelled, his voice hoarse from the anger and viciousness.

"Fuck you," Kagura spat and despite her badly beaten body, her voice held firm.

We must have been in Kanna's mirror or whatever the hell she had because this was clearly somewhere else, wherever Naraku was held up. He couldn't see us but we could see him.

Naraku growled, his hand wrapping around Kagura's throat. "Don't think that I won't snap your neck in a second," he hissed. "The little bitch is probably dead now anyways."

"How do you know?" Kagura whispered, a threat despite her position. "She knows all of your secrets. She knows where you are. She knows how to kill you–"

"No one can kill me!" Naraku screamed, slamming Kagura's head against the wall. "_No one_."

The wind demon laughed darkly, blood trickling down the sides of her mouth. "All of Heaven and Hell wants you to turn to ash, and you think you're invincible. Everyone is out to get you. You'll be dead before you get your final four demons."

"No!" Naraku slammed Kagura's head into the wall repeatedly, the sickening cracking of her skull ominous in the cave-like room she was chained in. Blood stained the walls. The chains around her wrists echoed with each jerky movement. "Tell me where she is!"

With one last chuckle, Kagura spat in his face.

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from screaming as the darkness started to take over, my mind tingling at the back, as if I had forgotten something, as if I was supposed to be somewhere. I was being pulled out of the mirror. Kanna was pulling us back.

Naraku took one step away before turning his back, fury dancing along his features as his body trembled with uncontrollable anger. I watched as the ferocity changed, the lines on his face shifting until he smiled cruelly. "Why don't we make it the final three demons and better my odds?" the man whispered, tilting his head before turning back towards Kagura. Words started to spew out of his mouth in a language that I couldn't understand. It was nearly vowel-less, hard consonants with constant repetition flowing through the dark room as Kagura screamed, shrill and terrifying, her body evaporating before my eyes into black, heavy fog, moving towards Naraku like being sucked into a vacuum…

Glass shattered and I gasped, jerking upwards once more but with the mattress solidly beneath my hands. Inuyasha grunted near me, returning back to his body just as I watched Kanna fall over and collapse onto the beige carpet.

"Where is he?" Inuyasha asked, voice strangled. "Where is Naraku?"

Kanna's breaths were shallow, pained. Her black eyes stood out amongst her pale face, lips powder white. "S…" Her eyes closed, her chest slowing. "Staunton."

My mind was racing, trying to figure out where, _where?_ Before I could ask her another question though, the small demon raised her cracked mirror and stared at herself in it. She whispered and this time it was too low for me to hear. Inuyasha looked away though, forcing his eyes from the white-haired girl while she finished.

"Take care of yourself," Inuyasha said, still not looking at her.

Kanna didn't respond to him but instead looked at me, pleading. I was frozen, unsure about what to do because I _killed_ demons, I purified them. And here was one practically dying on its own, how was I supposed to deal with it? What was I supposed to do? Demons didn't just _die_.

But Kanna had a plan to remedy it. She whispered one more quiet, sullen word and then her body evaporated, similar to Kagura's. The mirror in her hands rattled as each fibre of her being transformed into a thick black cloud that sucked itself into the mirror, racing so fast it rattled.

When it was over, the mirror shattered completely and fell to pieces on the floor.

"Inuyasha?" I whispered, unable to take my eyes away from the broken pieces of glass.

"Yeah, Kagome," he murmured, standing up with a hand over his mouth, thinking.

"What…" I couldn't finish the question because it was obvious. _What do we do?_

"How about I help you with that reading?"

I closed my eyes and started to pick up the pieces, one by one.

* * *

**Comments to Acknowledge:**

_HDR:_ Well thank you dear! Here's a new chapter. There will definitely be one soon though because an update is called for in the 12 Days of Witchyness and that I actually can't escape from ;)

_IrishIndy_: AHH. EVEN WITH YOUR HINT HINT I FAILED :( Well, hopefully it was still okay?! I really appreciate your lovely comments always. Thank you so much!

* * *

_ONLY THREE CHAPTERS REMAIN. BAHAHAHAHAHA. This is so far my longest story. Or it will be by the time I'm done with it._

_ALSO, over 1000 reviews! (Like, a while ago but I SUCK). You are all so, so wonderful to me. And since you are all so wonderful, I'd like to remind you of the **12 Days of Witchyness** that is once again starting on the 19th of December. There are so MANY amazing prompts you've all given me, stories you've wanted me to write and stories you've wanted me to update. Information on all of these stories can be found on my website under the tag "12 days of witchyness"._

_Feedback is love._


	40. Queen of Hearts

**Author's Note: **Considering this is more or less the last _real_ chapter, I hope you enjoy.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

Happy Belated Birthday to** ilovetosmilee! **Hope you enjoy this chapter dear.

* * *

**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Forty: Queen of Hearts**

* * *

"_Just as every cop is a criminal, and all the sinners' saints, as heads is tails – call me Lucifer – I'm in need of some restraint. So if you meet me have some courtesy, have some sympathy and some taste. Use all your well-learned politics or I'll lay your soul to waste, mmm yeah. Pleased to meet you, hope you guess my name."_

_-Sympathy for the Devil, Rolling Stones_

* * *

"What the fuck do we do?" I asked, staring at the collection of broken glass on the desk. Inuyasha had just returned with the black notebook from the car, the old journal familiar. It just…it didn't feel like enough. Naraku was so close to winning and we were in a hotel room about to look through a _journal_ that might be helpful.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Inuyasha's golden eyes watched me for a moment warily before stepping closer, putting the book down on the desk by the glass. "I think you need to stop hyperventilating."

I stopped breathing all together, holding it in for a moment before letting the breath out slowly. Everything would be okay. I had to keep thinking positively or surely I'd go out just to purify the nearest demon. That wouldn't lead to anything good. "Alright, might as well get started."

I went to reach over and grab the notebook when the half-demon blocked my path, hands slowly wrapping around my wrists. "Breathe."

"I am. If I wasn't, I'd be _dead_," I pointed out. Inuyasha simply kept looking at me, holding my gaze while I glared. Slowly it dawned on me that he was simply trying to get me to take a moment, to stop and _relax_. I took a few more breaths just to please him because clearly there was a reason he was doing this. I was probably getting crazy eyes.

"Feel better?" Inuyasha asked, tugging on my wrists just slightly.

I bit the inside of my lip before smiling, shaking my head at him. "Yeah."

"That was a bit contradictory," Inuyasha stated, smirking. "Want to try that again?"

Pushing up on my toes to kiss him lightly, I took the opportunity of him releasing my wrists to shove him away gently. "Don't press your luck." Grabbing the notebook, I spun onto the bed and started to read. "Do you want to go and get us food? I'm starving."

"It's only been a couple of hours," the half-demon said, a little confused. "What do you feel like?"

"Somewhere that has a milkshake. I want comfort food," I explained, grinning. "Need cash?"

"Already stole some from your wallet." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and walked to the door. "I'll be back soon. Don't do anything stupid, _please_, for fuck's sake."

I waved him off disinterestedly while staring at the journal, a single page flipped open. "Get me my milkshake, dog boy."

Snorting, the half-demon walked out and shut the motel door behind him. I stared at the first page of the journal, the curved slant of print fading the longer I looked. I wasn't reading, not yet, because there was shit I needed to do.

Okay. So maybe I did purposely get rid of Inuyasha. Shit happens.

Rummaging through the room, I managed to find a large cup that would have to serve as a bowl. I went to work setting up the scene, working as quickly as possible to get this done. It's not that I didn't want Inuyasha here – that wasn't it at all. The problem was that I needed answers from Upstairs and he usually got knocked out when she appeared. Taking a deep breath, I held the cup of water in my hands and started to chant. The words were so foreign on my lips, a mixture of awkward sounds that seemed to fade into the room. There was no power behind them, no promise of angel wings to come.

But Midoriko had to come.

"It's like you're _trying_ to insult me, my star. I don't know why you do it, but this black heart of mine can't take it much longer."

I closed my eyes and took another long breath. This time it was more about trying not to fling the cup across the room than to steady my nerves. "Astaroth, _what_ are you doing here?" I demanded, unable to stop my voice from hissing the last word. My goddamn mind was going to explode with all of the pinging my demon radar was blaring at me.

"A little birdie told me that Naraku is nearly done with his ritual and that you had managed to get this quaint lover's room for a hideaway." Astaroth grinned brilliantly, red eyes looking forlornly at the bed. "You know, the number of times people have had sex on that very mattress–"

"Shut up!" I yelled, putting the water down and glaring at the duke of Hell. "Why are you here when I'm casting a spell for angels, huh? That seems pretty damn suspicious."

Astaroth shrugged. "I do hate the winged sloths. Sometimes cute, usually ugly and lazy as hell? Let's face it, star, the only person that's helping _you_ is _me_."

Sitting down on the bed, I stared at the dark television and wondered. It wasn't any secret that the angels had more or less been useless to me the entire time, with the exception of one instance. Astaroth, on the other hand, had been a massive pain in my ass. "I can't trust anybody," I murmured, nodding my head.

Chuckling, the duke of Hell sat down on the bed beside me, although far enough that I couldn't reach him. It was probably for the best, although purifying him would hardly take more than a twitch of my fingers. "You still need help, considering you're here when Naraku is somewhere out there. Where's the half-breed?"

"None of your business," I replied. "Look, all I know is that Kagura is dead and Kanna…I don't even know what. Committed demonic suicide?"

"Not possible," Astaroth said, but he leaned forward to get a better look at my face. "How did you know Kagura was dead?"

"Kanna came here," I explained, pointing towards the shards of glass on the desk. "She dragged Inuyasha and me into her mirror to watch the whole thing. When we got out she just…went into it herself."

The duke of Hell stood up then, walking over to stare at the remaining contents of the mirror. His hands gingerly reached out to touch them, the pads of his fingers soothing along the sharp edges. Thoughtful red eyes looked at me, questioning. "You said she went into the mirror?"

"Yeah, in a puff of smoke," I explained, nodding my head. "I thought she was just going to die and be done with it all. What does that mirror even do?"

Astaroth turned away from me, his body now blocking my view of the remaining shards. He hummed, clearly ignoring me in favour of studying what lay before him. "She showed you Kagura's death?"

"In some dungeon, yeah. Naraku engulfed her." I stayed on the bed, but the urge to reach out and move him so that I could see what exactly was going on was almost too strong to control. "Are you done staring at yourself, or what?"

Astaroth spun around, grinning brilliantly at me. "My star, I knew there was a reason I loved you. Now, hold your head, it's going to get a bit louder, I'm afraid."

I frowned, hands slowly doing what they were told without conscious thought. "Excuse me?"

The duke of Hell snapped his fingers twice, red eyes never leaving my face. It was clear in an instant exactly what was going on, since the radar in my mind grew louder as a sharp knock rang on the door. "Come in," Astaroth called, his accent thick and exaggerated while he took in my glaring eyes. "Now, now, Kagome, don't look at me like that. I'm here to help, remember?"

"It's getting harder every second to not purify you, I can assure you of that," I snapped. I turned my attention to a sharp-looking woman with red hair and brown eyes. She wore some sort of business suit, high heels catching on the carpet. "I see you called your dog in."

"Funny, because I can smell your dog and he's about five minutes away. Although, given that he's never been fond of me, I'm sure he'll make an extra effort." The duke of Hell's grin couldn't disappear even if someone shot him. "Aamon, I have work for you."

"Yes Master," the fortune-telling demon replied in the woman's voice, a smile on her face that was far uglier than it should have been. He was using another human vessel, the son of a bitch.

"No, hold up," I snapped, standing and making my way toward the two demons. "Aamon needs to let this fucking woman go. If he doesn't, I'm going to exorcise him this goddamn minute. He can use his demonic form and I won't purify him, how's that for a trade off?"

Aamon's head tilted slightly, brown eyes narrowed. "This woman means something to you?"

"Every human means something," I hissed, clenching my hands. "Now get the fuck out."

Hands were around my throat so quickly that I barely had time to process. I reached out, fingers catching on the strings of Astaroth's heart and _tugging_. I didn't kill the connection, didn't sever the strings, because the moment I reached out the duke froze. His grip on my throat lessened but his red-eyed gaze was sharp, demanding.

"You've gotten stronger," he murmured, and if I hadn't known better, I'd have said he was delighted.

I stared at him because with his hands around my throat, any movement could be bad.

"Aamon needs a human vessel and that's that," Astaroth stated firmly. "The woman will be let free once he's done, are we clear?"

"I still don't like it," I snapped. "I still want to put your little puppet back in Hell."

"And like it or not," the demon said, his accented voice low in my ear, "we are virtually the only help you have right now. Aamon can find Naraku's exact location with her mirror, if I'm correct. Usually, I always am."

"Fine, but the woman goes free – and _alive_ – the moment it's over. Your slave boy can either vanish or stay here, I don't care, but he can't have a vessel."

"Accepted."

"Fine." Releasing the hold I had on Astaroth's heart, I rubbed at my neck from where the duke's hands were on it. Of course, that was the exact moment Inuyasha chose to come in, growling for all he was worth. "Inuyasha, it's okay!" I yelled, wincing at the sound of my voice. Yeah, that was going to hurt for a little bit.

The half-demon's golden gaze turned to me, and I was stupid enough not to lower my hand before he caught it. His eyes zeroed in on my neck and as quickly as Astaroth had previously moved Inuyasha was there, in my space, crowding up against me to inspect my neck. His nose twitched as he smelled me and the deep rumble from his chest was ferocious, even held in. He looked at me steadily. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip him to pieces."

"Um, you couldn't," Astaroth interjected, non-helpfully.

"He can find Naraku," I said quietly, resting my hand on his chest as if to smooth out the growl that resided there. "Afterwards, when this is done, I'll hold him down with my powers while you break him piece by piece."

Inuyasha sighed but his body didn't relax in the slightest. He was wound up, tense, and when he seemed to agree he simply looked past me at the wall. "You promise me the most romantic things."

"Only for the best."

Astaroth gagged, but neither of us particularly cared. Then again, the duke of Hell was never to be ignored, because his next statement had Inuyasha looking at me again, curious. "You know," the duke started, "you won't have powers when this is all done. You'll be free once and for all."

"We don't know what the angels will do," I replied, shaking my head. Focusing on Inuyasha, I sighed. "Where's my milkshake?"

"Oh for fuck's sake," Inuyasha muttered, spinning on his heel and glaring daggers at the duke of Hell as he passed. He had to go outside but eventually he came in with my milkshake, which I happily took along with the black journal. "So what are you doing here?" the half-demon asked.

Aamon held up a shard of the mirror's glass at him, gesturing towards it. "If I can put this back together and seal it, I can find Naraku's location from within."

"How long?" Inuyasha asked.

"No more than a day, but a few hours at least," the fortune teller admitted. He started to gather the pieces and brushed them into a cloth bag that seemingly came out of nowhere. "I need to be alone for this. Master, I shall update you."

"Do so," Astaroth replied, inclining his head. He smiled then at me, waving. "We'll return when he's done. Do you have a solution to destroying Naraku yet?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I'll have one."

Astaroth's grin grew. "See to it that you do. Until then."

When the duke was gone, Inuyasha flipped off the spot where he once stood. "Why can't we just kill him now?"

"He's right," I murmured, taking a long sip of the milkshake before opening the journal up. I focused on the writing, the black ink that stretched across pages and pages. "We don't have many others for help."

"Miroku, Sango…" Inuyasha shrugged. "Hell, probably Sesshomaru, Kouga, that brat of yours…"

"They don't have his power or reach," I pointed out. "Although, it's true that I don't know much about your half-brother. The fact of the matter is that I need demonic connections on this to find Naraku. We've done a shitty job of it so far and now we're almost out of time. I'll get all the help I can get."

"Want me to make some calls while you study?" Inuyasha asked, sitting on the bed beside me.

I nodded, flipping a page. "It's probably a good idea."

There was a long silence where Inuyasha didn't move or say anything, but suddenly there were soft trails of heat from where Inuyasha's fingers danced along my neck. I glanced up at him, confused, but didn't say anything when I saw the dangerous look in his eyes.

"The only reason I didn't attack him was because you said it was okay. The fact is that it _really_, fucking wasn't." Inuyasha's mouth went into a tight line afterwards, like he was holding back everything else he wanted to say.

"I had his heart in a bind," I murmured, trying to explain. Not to defend the duke, but to give Inuyasha a better picture.

"And you still let him attack you like that?" Inuyasha's look went from shocked to furious in seconds.

I shook my head. "No, I did it after. It doesn't matter though; I would've won if he tried to do anything."

Sighing like I was being particularly thick in the head, Inuyasha pushed off the bed to presumably find my cell phone. "It doesn't fucking make a difference." He went and retrieved what he needed before sitting near the edge of the bed, dialling. The first person he was going to call was probably Miroku and Sango, and while I wanted to talk to them I needed to get an answer.

Desperately. Now.

But Inuyasha's words still circled in my head. Crawling over to him, I put my head in his lap and continued to read Naraku's journal. It wasn't an apology or even an explanation, but it was enough. When his free hand brushed at my bangs to pull them back, the final straw was pulled.

"I know it doesn't," I whispered, almost too quietly. Inuyasha was talking to Miroku on the phone but I knew that he could hear.

* * *

I was more than halfway through the journal and the sun was already setting. Inuyasha had blatantly refused to leave me for fear of Astaroth returning. It wasn't that the half-demon was afraid Astaroth would kill me – no, certainly not – but because of some macho _don't touch what's mine_ thing that was going around and around in his head. I tried to understand but when my stomach started to growl for food, my pitiful looks became more like glares. "Can you please get something?"

"Not unless you come with," Inuyasha replied, saying the exact same thing he had said several times before.

I sighed. "Talk to the motel manager then and see if there are any nearby pizza places. We can deliver, how's that?"

The smirk came out in full force, like Inuyasha was immensely pleased by this win. "Somewhat better; I'll tolerate it. Can you not get into trouble for the next three minutes?"

"No guarantees but I'll do my best," I murmured, eyes still focused intently on the journal.

Inuyasha moved off the bed but paused just at the edge of it. "How's it going?"

Shrugging, I flipped a page. "I'm learning a lot but I'm not entirely sure if it's useful. There are little things about the ritual that are vital but I'm assuming he's done them all already. I'm making my way to the finalization of it – the whole _Naraku_ bit."

Taking it for what it was, Inuyasha grabbed at my ankle briefly before leaving the room. I took a moment to watch him, to study the way the black locks of dyed hair flew with the gust of winter wind when he went outside. I saw the way his body remained tense, the way his shoulders were bunched up by his neck, as if he anticipated an attack at any moment.

Soon it would all be over.

It had me thinking though, as I was suddenly left alone in the motel room, what Inuyasha's plans were. We never went over it. We never talked it out. Was he still going to go after the jewel? Did he still want it, even now? Toying with the journal, I realized that not much had changed besides our relationship. Inuyasha may still want to be stronger, may still want to be a full demon. How was I supposed to know when I never asked?

A large part of me thought that this was entirely impossible. He couldn't. Why would he do that to me? Becoming a demon was not something I could live with, not after what happened to my father and certainly not after what my life had become. Regardless if I got out of this ordeal with powers or not, I would make sure Inuyasha was taken care of should he choose to go full demon.

Then again, who the fuck was I kidding? There was no way I could do it. I was weak and that was that. How could someone easily decide the death of a loved one? If he turned… Snapping my head to the side, as if to physically get rid of the thoughts, I took a deep breath and once again focused on the journal. I had already gone through so many other rituals, all of which were somewhat similar. I had been hoping for a connection, something that wouldn't be noticed in a minor ritual that Naraku would've thought of for this one. So far, nothing had stood out.

The final task of _Naraku_ was the engulfment of the last demon. I frowned, studying the sketches along the margins of the journal. The last demon had to be specific in nature. The last demon would be the strongest of all, would be the dominating factor of all the demons Naraku had taken in. Matching the sketches on the margins, a rather large centred photo of an arachnid was drawn in black ink under the head of _The Final Task_.

Naraku needed a spider demon to be his last?

"So, the guy at the front gave me two places. Frankly they both look extremely sketchy but–"

"Inuyasha, stop," I said, sitting up from the bed and thrusting the journal out. "Spider demons, how common are they?"

He could tell from the expression on my face exactly what this was all about. "Pretty common, more so than dog demons at least," Inuyasha answered, torn between looking hopeful and apologetic. "Why, what are you thinking?"

"Naraku needs his final demon to be a spider demon."

"He's probably already got one or three of them captured away until the right moment," Inuyasha said. "He's had enough time to find them."

"Then I have to take them out of the equation: purify them." I shrugged. "It doesn't stop him, not really, but it'll buy us time."

Inuyasha raised both brows, curious. "To do what exactly? He's still powerful. He could still kill any of us."

"But he's still _human_," I pressed, pointing into the pages of the black journal. "Naraku is really just Onigumo with hundreds of demons locked away inside of him, helped by the Shikon Jewel. He needs the jewel to finish the ritual. He's strong, yes. He's got demonic powers, yes. But his heart is _human_."

"So we should just shoot him and kill him like any other human?" Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, because we haven't already tried that."

"We can't just _shoot _him and expect it to work. It's obviously harder because of his demonic abilities. But if we stab him in the heart, put a log through his chest, axe him in the ribs – he's going to die." I reached out, tugging on Inuyasha's shirt the moment he got close enough. "What's the main difference between humans and demons?"

"Intelligence?" Inuyasha asked, raising a brow.

I rolled my eyes. "Our hearts, asshole. When I connect to a demon to kill them, I purify their _heart_. Onigumo has a human heart. If we target that and destroy it, he should die."

The half-demon didn't even blink. "That's your plan. You've got to be kidding me."

I shrugged. "Okay, so we'll need thorough distraction and a lot of luck."

"Oh fantastic," Inuyasha muttered, clearly displeased. "For fuck's sake Kagome, tell me that's not what we're going into this with: the hope for good luck and the chance that a sharpened log will magically fly into his heart without his knowledge."

I winced. "I don't have another answer and we don't have any more time."

"Yeah," the half-demon mumbled, crossing his arms stubbornly but letting me position him against my body anyways. "I was afraid of that."

"The usual on our pizza?"

"I'm going to fucking kill you if you're seriously going to jump into a conversation about _food_."

Grinning, I let go of the journal in favour for wrapping up around him, burying my face in his hair. "I'm not going to worry."

"That makes one of us and _you're_ the complete moron," Inuyasha pointed out. "Since this is probably going to be our last night alive, can we get extra dipping sauce at least?"

I made a face but laughed, trying not to let his words hit me too much, trying not to think about it so hard. I was worried. I was fucking terrified. "Whatever you want."

And if, after we ordered the pizza, I kissed him a hell of a lot more desperately than I may ever have before – neither of us said a word or stopped it. He didn't say it, and I knew I would never be the first to utter those words, but it was implicit with every burning touch and look. I loved him just as much as he loved me.

Love wasn't going to be the reason we survived tomorrow. This wasn't some Harlequin romance novel.

Still, I didn't let him go the rest of the night.

* * *

"So let me get this straight: I leave you to get something done and I return only to see you snuggling with your puppy."

Inuyasha's growl was nearly feral and I reached out, feeling a single demonic heart stretching towards my hands. The lights suddenly turned on, making me blink rapidly from the onslaught. I had been _sleeping_, goddamn it. Checking the time, I realized it had only been three hours since I closed my eyes. I was supposed to fight for my life like _this_?

Astaroth sighed. "Does this mean you have a plan?"

"A fucking terrible one," Inuyasha muttered, getting out of bed and throwing on a t-shirt. He still had his sweatpants on but the glare he sent Astaroth was deadly regardless. He stopped short of the duke of Hell, crossing his arms and looking thoughtful. "I have a question for you."

Astaroth tilted his head, curiously. "I may have the answer."

"Why is there a Chosen One?" Inuyasha asked, body still tense like he hadn't just been sleeping, like he hadn't just been relaxed and loose under the sheets. "Why would Heaven bother at all if they're not going to help or if Naraku can be killed by a simple stabbing of the heart?"

Red eyes clashed with golden for a moment as I waited, wondering what would come from it. Astaroth was from Hell, which meant he shouldn't know much of anything for that answer. "It is interesting, isn't it?" the duke said instead, nodding his head. "But it goes back to history, really. Those flying monkeys have their ways and demons have theirs. The plan _is_ to leave you mostly on your own, except for when you deviate from the path."

"Like when I wasn't with Inuyasha," I added, thinking of when Midoriko nearly killed me just to bring us together.

Astaroth rolled his eyes. "If you had listened to me in the first place, my star, it never would've happened."

Inuyasha waved a hand, clearly growing frustrated. "Why make a human the Chosen One just to kill a sort-of human like she'd kill another of her kind?"

"And that, my dear puppy, is the million dollar question." The blinding grin was back again.

It happened so fast that I barely had time to react. Inuyasha's fist was suddenly swinging through the air, hitting Astaroth in the face and sending the duke stumbling backwards. The half-demon remained where he was, visibly angry and nearly shaking with tension. Astaroth smiled like the whole thing was his plan from the beginning. My hands were outstretched, ready in case I had to stop either one of them, but nothing happened. The duke of Hell simply moved his gaze towards mine.

"Aamon has finished. I know the location. Are you ready yet, star?"

I blinked, looking down at myself still buried under the sheets with barely more than a flimsy tank top and tiny shorts. "No." I shook my head. "Sango and Miroku won't even be here for another few hours, at least. Inuyasha and I are still trying to figure out how to contact his brother."

"_Half_-brother," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. "And that wolf demon."

Astaroth's eyes narrowed but he nodded. "I'll find them and bring them here. I'm faster."

"I don't think they'll take being transported by the demon that tried to kill them very well," I explained. "Inuyasha, pass me my cell phone. I'll call them and warn them. Pull _any_ stupid shit, and I swear to god–"

"Darling, would this face lie to you?" Astaroth winked before leaving the hotel room, cheery in a way that one shouldn't be while about to go into battle.

Inuyasha still hadn't moved from his spot, hadn't even considered getting my cell phone. He glared at the motel door where Astaroth had just exited. "The best part about killing Naraku is that I'm going to be able to kill this asshole later."

"Motivation at its finest," I sighed, crawling out of the bed. I grabbed the cell phone and made the call.

I knew Sango wouldn't be happy with it, understandably so. "What do you mean he's going to poof here?"

"We need to leave now to get to Naraku. There are only two demons left before he's done the transformation. We don't have much time," I explained. "I'm sorry. You know I wouldn't do this if there was another option."

I could hear Sango's mind whirling a thousand miles a minute. "Absolutely not."

"Sango, this is life or death," I said, trying to be calm. I got it, I really did. If Astaroth did to me what he did to Miroku and Sango, I wouldn't want to go near him ever. Not without Inuyasha at least. "What if Inuyasha was with him when he came to get you guys, would that help?"

Sango snorted and I could hear Miroku saying something muffled on the other end. The final result was my best friend sighing and agreeing. "I have the right to shoot him if I want."

"Go right ahead," I allowed, nodding even though she couldn't see it. "As many times as you want."

Inuyasha gave me a look the moment I hung up, peering through the sweater he was throwing on. "You offered for me to go with him?"

"They need a safety net, Inuyasha." I shrugged, stripping my pyjamas and getting dressed. I debated before putting on a sweater that was heavy enough to keep me warm but not enough to restrict me. There was no way I would be able to fight with a winter jacket on. "Astaroth!" I yelled, just as I flipped the hood over my head. "Come here!" The duke of Hell appeared in a poof right before my eyes, literally a foot away from me. My only solace was that I had his heart in a bind the second my demon radar began to blare, catching him off guard. "You need to stop doing that," I hissed.

Unashamed, Astaroth pulled away and leaned against the wall. "And the word is?"

"Get them and bring them here. We'll travel to Naraku's location when we're together and organized. I have no idea what it's going to be like when we get there and how much of an advantage we'll get with surprise."

"I won't be at full power, you realize," the duke said, "especially transporting the load of you to Arizona."

"Arizona?" I grimaced. "_Why there_?"

"I'm coming with you to get Sango and Miroku," Inuyasha interrupted, heading towards the door. "Are we doing this or what?"

"Your half-breed puppy is anxious," Astaroth whispered before waving. He went outside and I watched from the door as the two of them disappeared.

How long was this even going to take?

The room was a mess and considering I may never return, it was probably in my best interest to pack up, or do…something. The room was already rented for the next night so hopefully if we all survived, we could come back here and nothing would be missing. That would be the hope anyways, which I didn't hold out for. My life just simply did not work like that.

A truck suddenly dropped about four feet to the ground from mid-air, Sango and Miroku staring out of the windshield in horror. Inuyasha sat on top of the roof, displeasure rolling off of him in waves. "Where did he go?"

"For that fucking wolf, I think," Inuyasha replied.

"_How are you friends with another demon_?" Sango yelled, the sound partially muffled until she fully opened the driver door. She stumbled out, stunned for all of a minute before smiling and hugging me. "It has been way too long."

"I know," I whispered, holding her tight for another second. Miroku came around and joined, completing the awkward little circle.

Inuyasha's growling broke it all up, followed by the sound of my demon radar blinking to life. Kouga's strangled voice shouted out, a quick "–the _fuck_ is going on?" that ended abruptly. The wolf demon looked around, eyes landing on Inuyasha first before assessing the rest of us. His blue eyes narrowed at me, suspicious.

"It's time to collect," I said, nodding towards him. "Astaroth was the fastest way to find you."

"I had heard it's too late already." Kouga shifted from foot to foot, looking desperate to run. If he did, he'd certainly get away. We'd have to have the duke go and fetch him again but we didn't have time like that. Standing around in the cold was too much of a waste as it was.

"You _do_ have another demon friend," Miroku said, tilting his head towards me without taking his eyes off of Kouga. "I think we need to have a serious talk with you about this."

"We promised not to kill him if he helped us kill Naraku," I explained. This, at least, stopped the wolf demon from shifting. Something changed in his facial expression, his eyes – like the reminder of the deal was all he needed. It was probably the thought of why he was going after Naraku in the first place.

Death was a powerful motivator.

"How many demons are coming?" Sango asked, heading towards the truck undoubtedly to get her weapons.

"Just one more, but you won't like him," I replied. As if to underline my statement, Astaroth suddenly appeared. A startling gurgle escaped his mouth as the duke gasped desperately for air, the sound heard over the wind, Sesshomaru's hand wrapped tight around his throat.

Sesshomaru was killing the duke of Hell like he was an ant. Good to know.

"I _need_ him!" I yelled, walking over to Sesshomaru to make myself known. I doubted the dog demon would notice my presence otherwise. "He needs to take us to Naraku," I added, when Sesshomaru's cold, gold eyes continued to stare at Astaroth's big red ones. He was an unrelenting murderer. I couldn't tell if I was grateful for that or not, right now. "He needs to take us to find _Ryukotsusei_, for fuck's sake, get your head out of your ass!"

The duke of Hell fell to the ground in a heap, a horrible snarl crossing his features. "Oh I've heard all about you."

"Don't," I threatened, stepping between them. "We've got far more important things to do."

"Your bitch is howling again Inuyasha," Sesshomaru stated, monotone with a hint of displeasure. "It's grating."

I flipped him off while Sango yelled indignantly for my honour. While touched that she'd even try, _this was not the time_. "Where in Arizona are we going?" I asked Astaroth, trying to get his attention focused once more.

"It's a large forest with very little human interaction," the duke explained, his dark eyes never leaving Sesshomaru's, even while Inuyasha's half-brother turned around to take in his surroundings. "You probably don't know it."

Inuyasha climbed off the roof of the truck, taking in everyone's faces until his gaze landed on me. "What do you need?"

"A few useless weapons, mostly," I stated, getting the weapons from the hidden compartment in the backseat of the car. "Do you guys need anything?" I continued, pointedly towards Sango and Miroku. Sango was already dressed in her typical battle outfit, something that made her stand out but protected her well enough in a fight. Miroku hadn't much changed but his staff was in hand.

"Let me get Hiraikotsu," Sango said, turning towards her truck. "How are we killing this guy?"

I pulled out a collection of knives and a large bottle of holy water. I doused them all considerably before sheathing some of them in bands along my body. They were uncomfortable as hell, but it would have to do. I tucked my gun in its holster at my side, feeling the familiar press of metal against my palm. "Onigumo is human, for the most part. I need to destroy his heart, just like anyone else."

"The holy water was smart," Inuyasha pointed out. "Do you think it'll work?"

"Not a fucking clue." I gave Sango and Miroku each a knife, just in case. "The only plan is a basic one: kill him. He's going to have demons everywhere but the main targets are spider demons, if we see any. His final demon for the ritual must be a spider demon."

"What about the jewel?" Sesshomaru asked, staring at me in a way that suggested I was stupid for not mentioning it. "Will you get it?"

"If I can find it, yes, but he's going to have it hidden."

"What about us?" Kouga asked. "I'm a hell of a lot faster than all of you. I could get it before he even blinked."

Kouga's smile was far too smug, making me shake my head. "There's no way it'll be that easy. Naraku is powerful. He's still human but the demons he's ingested have made him strong. Bullets don't work other than to slow him down. That's why I need to directly get to his heart."

Kouga's eyes narrowed. "I'll make sure you get it."

"Just be careful," I urged. "The goal is to stop him from finalizing the transformation and killing him. I'm the Chosen One for a reason but if you can make the shot, take it. I don't…know why it wouldn't work for any of you. I'll back you up."

"We'll all back each other up," Inuyasha said. He quickly rolled his eyes before gesturing towards Sesshomaru. "Except him."

"What makes you so special?" Sango spat, clearly still sore from Sesshomaru's previous comments towards me.

Sesshomaru's lips moved, so slightly, but it almost appeared to be a quirk of his mouth. "The fact that I can kill you with merely a flick of my index finger – that does. As a human, your brain couldn't even comprehend my power."

"Whoa there pal," Miroku interrupted, waving his one hand while the other grabbed Sango. "Do not fight her. It won't end well."

"For her," Sesshomaru added, nodding his head slightly in acknowledgement, as if Miroku had been helping his point. "At that, I do agree. Keep your bitch on a tighter leash."

Sango stared at me, incredulous. I shrugged. "I told you."

"This has been fun, but we really should go," Astaroth said, grabbing my wrist and Inuyasha's. "Hold hands now, prepare to sing Kumbaya."

"Fuck you," Inuyasha muttered, grabbing Kouga's wrist before the wolf demon could react. "You better do something worthwhile against Naraku or I really am going to tear you apart piece by piece."

"Now, now, puppy. Keep being naughty and you won't get your treat. Everyone holding hands?" Astaroth nodded, smiling devilishly. "Then we're off."

It pretty much went to shit immediately.

* * *

I've never _teleported_ anywhere before. Clearly, that was a mistake.

The first thing that processed was that my demon radar was blaring, louder than the level of the demons I was used to. There were more than just Sesshomaru, Kouga and Astaroth, which meant…

A loud, sickening growl could be heard. My mind was a fog, my body barely together. All I could feel was nausea rising up from my stomach, crawling up my throat but I took one second to focus, to feel the heart strings and then snap them instantly.

"Damn," Kouga muttered from somewhere behind me. "That was…quick."

I stumbled backwards four wobbly steps and then proceeded to throw up in a bush. Just what I fucking wanted: to be a sick mess when attacking Naraku. That could only go well. My only consolation –and it really, _really_ wasn't – was that Sango and Miroku were sick beside me.

"Fuck," Inuyasha swore, his hand touching my lower back. "Kagome, I don't mean to rush you, but more are coming. Astaroth, why the _fuck_ did you bring us practically right in the middle of it?"

"Less time for emotional goodbyes," the duke replied, shrugging casually. "The love is outnumbering the hate in this small group of ours. I thought it would be better to just attack and hope we don't die. You know, use the fact that you never said goodbye to your darling as motivation."

"Fuck your brand of motivation!" Sango yelled, wiping at her mouth.

My radar blared, even loud than before. They were coming. So many of them were coming. Straightening up, I pushed back every other feeling and looked around. The trees were thick where we were but it was obvious that less than one hundred feet away was a clearing. That was where Naraku would be. "We attack together and branch out. Sesshomaru, I know you only have eyes for Ryukotsusei, but your help before you gallivant off would be appreciated." I didn't get a response, but I didn't expect one either. At least the demon hadn't disappeared already.

"Incoming," Kouga announced, legs tensing underneath him.

Three demons descended from the trees, red eyes showing their bloodlust. I didn't have time for this; our group didn't even have a _plan_, Jesus fucking Christ. The angels really were just planning on killing me. Without a thought I connected to all three of them, ending their demonic lives with a flick of my wrist. They were dead before they hit the ground.

"You can't do that all the time," Astaroth pointed out needlessly. "You won't have enough power. Just teleporting here took a lot from me."

"Well, I'm motivated to not give a shit," I snapped. Angrily I took off my sweater, because Arizona's temperature was well into the positives and if I could fight without the bulk, I'd take it. "Since none of you can actually kill the demons, I need you to incapacitate them so that they won't be a problem. Sango and Miroku: if you can exorcise the few using human vessels, go for it. My target is Naraku."

"Don't forget the jewel," the duke said. "Naraku will have that close. He can use it until it's purified, but no one should touch it other than Kagome."

Clearly frustrated, Kouga yelled out, "And why the hell not?"

"The power will drive you mad," Inuyasha stated blankly. "And then we'll have to kill you."

More demons were coming already. With one last look, I turned my head towards Inuyasha. He was already looking at me, golden eyes intense. It threw me back to all those months ago when we had first met. When he was looking at me from the passenger seat of the Corvette, it had been like he was trying to pull out information, trying to get a read from my very soul. This was no different, but this time there was absolutely nothing to hide. Golden orbs drew me in and I allowed myself a moment of guilty pleasure, or relishing in a look that I could get lost in.

Sudden movement had us all running, scattering to different corners. The demons on their way fell one by one, from Sango's Hiraikotsu to Sesshomaru's bloody hands. Miroku's deep voice could be heard in the distance, the familiar exorcism almost like a lull as I ran forward, deeper into the forest but closer to the clearing.

Naraku wasn't hard to find.

Surrounded by demons everywhere, I stopped, taking in the situation. There had to be a hundred of them, staring at me with bloody eyes. Sesshomaru burst through the trees, annihilating demons as he went. Kouga was a whirlwind along the edges.

Still, everything focused on me.

"I've always found persistence to be an annoying human trait," Naraku said, loudly enough to be heard over the swell of demons.

"Strange, since you are one," I replied. My fingers slowly straightened and I let my powers go, let them focus on the hearts of the demons in the clearing. So many, _so many_, I couldn't even count. It seemed endless, for the moment I connected with one there was another tagging along. I didn't pull. I didn't yank. I didn't even let them know I was there.

Naraku's face contorted into a wicked, evil smile. "I haven't been a human in a long time."

"Arguable, since you need to take in a spider demon to fulfil the ritual, isn't that right?" I asked, stepping forwards, reaching out.

I couldn't purify Naraku's heart, just like before.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy. I knew it wouldn't work but the small, tiny glimmer of hope had been there.

"What makes you think I can't do it right now? I have demons everywhere." Naraku tilted his head at me.

"You're waiting for the right kind," I answered, making shit up as I went. I had no fucking clue why he had been waiting for so long, but it was the only thing that made sense. A particular kind of demon to end the ritual would suggest that the demons being engulfed had some sort of meaning, some sort of power balance for him. I smiled to myself as Sango's boomerang whizzed by my face, knocking out several demons. The shrieks were deafening. "And now, you're not going to get the chance."

I pulled. I pulled so hard that I fell to my knees with the effort. In an instant they all knew, all of the demons in the clearing were screaming and running forward. One of them actually jumped me, pushing me to the ground and cutting across my shoulder. Silver hair raced over me, taking away the demon and with a deep, shaking breath I forced my hands closed. It was hard, like squeezing through packed snow that barely melted, barely gave away.

But they were all dead. All of the demons in their own, pure form were gone. Naraku's chances for succeeding were considerably slimmer. There were maybe only fifty demons left.

"Get up!" Miroku yelled, and I closed my eyes, rolled and hoped for the best. The ground was tilting underneath me, or it felt like it, but the forest was spinning too. Black smoke emanated from a few of the human bodies, the mist taking shape for their actual form.

Nothing levelled out until I heard Kouga yell.

Grabbing my gun, I clicked off the safety and shot at Naraku, again and again. It was a stall tactic, only because Kouga was in his grip. Naraku was supposed to be _mine_, why was Kouga trying to fight him so specifically when there were other demons? I fired twice more, conscious of my remaining bullets. Naraku turned to look at me, irritation flashing across his face. I could see Sesshomaru in the distance, Inuyasha taking on three demons at once with bloodied hands. Neither of them could help. I slid the gun back in its holster and got out my knives, running forwards just as Naraku threw the wolf demon to the floor.

"This will only end badly for you," Naraku hissed, suddenly so, so close. I rolled to the ground, slashing and catching skin as I went down. He was right there though, and it was all I could do just to kick at him and scramble up. Red eyes seemed to dance, the smile on his face growing wilder with rage. "What makes you think that you'll win this at all? Heaven left you long ago, Chosen One."

The backhanded hit to my face sent me reeling, stumbling back until I caught my balance. There was another hit to my stomach and I went to the ground, struggling for air.

"_No_!" Inuyasha's growl echoed in my mind, like he was screaming from inside my head. I brought my knives up, defensive, but no blows came. My half-demon was there, standing before me and fighting Naraku. His claws were practically buried in Naraku's neck, blood pouring everywhere, down to the overgrown grass. I watched in horror as more demons came, protecting Naraku by jumping on his back. There was no way I could purify them, not right now, and my gun would risk hitting Inuyasha. I stood up and stabbed the one on his back, wrenching him away so I could fight the demon one-on-one. The human vessel looked bloody and broken, teeth shockingly crimson from the fight. I lunged, catching the barest hint of stomach. The demon suddenly screeched, a small light emanating as Miroku's deep voice sounded close to me.

"Thank you," I whispered, probably unheard. I looked for Inuyasha but he was nowhere to be seen. Panic swelled up in my chest, hot and burning.

"Oh, don't worry," Naraku murmured, making my body turn rigid. "I haven't killed him yet."

I spun around, stabbing at his chest, but Naraku stepped away. His hand flung out and Miroku flew because of it, pushed by an invisible power towards the trees. "Miroku!" I screamed, lunging again for the demon. He was always just out of my reach, smile a persistent ugly bastard.

A growl – not Inuyasha, _where was he_? – came from behind me, the wind rushing by as Kouga leapt at Naraku. He was faster than I was and Naraku hadn't the time to block it. The two demons skidded across the grass, several feet away. Before I could move towards them, another demon fell at my feet. Sesshomaru was there, pushing the demon into the ground with his foot.

"Do it," the dog demon ordered, his body coated with black blood.

"I don't–"

"_Do it_," he roared, more expression and anger than I had ever witnessed clear on his face. "_Kill him_."

This was what revenge did to people. How many times had I looked exactly like that – bloodied and raw and broken?

Ryukotsusei was trapped inside of a human; there was only one option. "Regna terrae, cantate Deo, psallite Domino–"

Sango was crying out in the distance. Miroku was yelling. Where was Inuyasha?

"Qui fertis super caelum caeli ad Orientem. Ecce dabit voci–" Astaroth flit behind Sesshomaru, attacking another demon before disappearing completely. It felt like the words wouldn't come out of my mouth fast enough, like I was taking too long and the world was spinning far too quickly. When would it end? _When would it end?_

"–Terribilis Deus de sanctuario suo. Deus Israhel ipse truderit virtutem et fortitudinem plebe Suae. Benedictus Deus. _Gloria Patri_." As the demon at my feet expelled into nothing more than smoke and ash, Sesshomaru's body went still. Cold golden eyes looked at me, almost like it was for the first time.

"Find Inuyasha," I pleaded. "Please find him."

Sesshomaru leapt into the air, a flash in the sky before he was gone. My eyes instantly went to the scene in front of me: Kouga, Sango and Astaroth attacking Naraku and five demons that surrounded his side. Sango no longer had her weapon, fighting instead with the knife I gave her. I ran towards them, trying to stay out of Naraku's sight but failing when one of his demons jumped towards me. I slashed the demon's throat open and spun, kicking at the other who was crowding Sango's back. The only person I didn't have covered was Kouga and I realized near instantly how big of a mistake that was.

Naraku was roaring – the only word that could possibly describe the sounds coming out of his mouth. His eyes were glazed, body bent and taut like a string on a bow. Kouga's neck was in his hands but the wolf demon kept kicking, kept fighting.

It was doing nothing. I had to get there to help.

I rushed forwards but there was one look from Naraku and another demon – _a_ _spider demon_ – attacked me. I dodged the first hit but got caught on the second, stumbling from legs chopping at the back of my neck. I rolled in time to miss the next attack, the spider's many eyes focused on me as it tried again. I kicked out, knocking at its legs before stabbing the demon in the face.

By then, it was far too late. The strange noises Naraku was making finally clicked in my mind, my eyes widening as realization struck like a lightning bolt.

"Get him away!" I screamed, throwing a knife at Naraku as a last ditch effort. It missed, far and wide because I hadn't aimed for shit, and all I saw were Kouga's blue eyes looking at me in confusion before his mouth opened, noises ripping out of him. It sounded like he was being torn apart, broken into two, but all that happened was a big, heavy fog that surrounded Naraku as Kouga was engulfed.

Kouga was _gone_.

In a moment of stupidity or courage, I couldn't fucking know with the adrenaline that was pumping through me, I leapt at Naraku. I pulled out my gun and shot at his neck and chest, over and over until I ran out of bullets. The knife in my hand grew heavy, like it knew its final destination and purpose, the reason this was happening. Naraku was distracted by his body adjusting, the fog evaporating so quickly.

The knife entered his body, the holy water making it sear, but I was stopped by Naraku's hand on my wrist. Barely a quarter of the blade was in – far too short – and I was caught.

This was it.

Naraku smiled at me wickedly before bashing his head into mine. Black dots lined my vision as I collapsed to the ground, chest barely even registering the heavy kick to my ribs. I heard my name – so far away, why so far? – but I forced my eyes open, forced myself to look. Sango was stabbed in the shoulder with her own knife by Naraku's hands, his kick sending her across the clearing. Astaroth was gone, I didn't know where, _where_…

But there was the spider demon, still alive but bleeding black blood all over the grass. And there was Naraku, pulling out the black Shikon no Tama from around his neck, speaking the non-existent words that would change everything.

Not once, _not once_, did I see silver. Bile rose in the back of my throat as I struggled to get to my knees. This couldn't be over, but I didn't know where my knives were. I was supposed to have one more but it was gone and my gun… I blinked, shaking my head but it only made the ringing worse.

When everything went black, the clearing exploding with a humid, moist fog, I tried not to breathe. There in the middle, exactly where Naraku stood, was a dark shining light. The tiniest hue of purple could be seen, curling almost protectively around the demon's glowing body.

Naraku was changing. The ritual was complete.

We were utterly fucked.

A blood-curdling cry rang through the air as the blackness seemed to disappear. The sole demon in the clearing was shirtless, a large scar of a spider that matched the drawings in the journal pulsating on his back. Naraku turned, rolling his neck and shoulders like he was adapting to a new form. His red eyes glistened. "It was only a matter of time," he said, voice low and threatening. "This was inevitable."

The world was still too uneasy beneath my feet as I tried to get up, my head pounding hard and brutal as I tried to make sense of what to do next. A long, high-pitched howl tore through my thoughts. The ground shook and this time I was positive it wasn't me. Looking up, dizzy from the sudden movement, I saw that in the clearing there was a large white dog with markings across its face. It growled, pawing at the ground in a challenge before it took off at Naraku.

"_Kagome_, Kagome, come here." The voice was like a shock to my system and when arms wrapped around me I didn't fight it. Inuyasha was hovering over me, nearly dragging me as he half-ran. I could hear his laboured breathing and blood was dripping down his arms, red and so very _human_.

"Inuyasha, talk to me," I whispered, trying to move along with him, to run. Even that was too slow for the half-demon and he was nowhere near as fast as he could be. He was hurt, painfully so, and I couldn't even get a good look at his face.

The half-demon let out a dark chuckle, half of a choke, probably from blood. "We need to get out of here _now_. Sesshomaru will distract him."

"We can't leave," I protested, pushing against him. "We _can't_. Sango and Miroku and–"

"What option do we _have_?" And now I could see Inuyasha's face. He was cut all over, face swelling and raw. His outfit was soaking in blood – black and red, which meant a lot of it was his own. "Heaven isn't here Kagome. They've given up so why the fuck can't _we_? I don't know where your friends are. I _don't know_."

"He's going to–"

"The angels will come up with some other half-assed plan," Inuyasha continued, grabbing me roughly by the arm and dragging me. "You're not going to die. I am _not_ going to let you fucking die or so help me–"

Something powerful and sudden knocked into the both of us, sending us flying into the air towards the trees. I heard a deep, rough whine and knew that it was Sesshomaru. Naraku was _flinging_ Sesshomaru. This wasn't happening, _fuck_, we couldn't even escape, could we? This was doomed to fail and the angels were nowhere. Astaroth was nowhere.

Heaven and Hell had given up and hadn't fucking given out a memo to let me know.

"You can't run," Naraku hissed into my ear, grabbing me by the throat and pinning me to the ground. His black hair fell down, nearly into my eyes as his cruel smile covered my vision. I could still see the cuts on his neck from Inuyasha clawed at him. I could see crimson blood, from when he was still partially human. "You were always meant to die."

"I–" Any breath I had was instantly gone, ripped from me the moment I felt claws on my stomach. Pain lanced through me, unbearable, too much, too much, _too much_ and I screamed. It was distant almost, because there was nothing but the roar in my ears, nothing but the tidal wave of burning, consuming pain as Naraku buried his fist into my body, ripping apart my insides.

Naraku laughed. "This was meant to be, Chosen One."

Everything was fading so fast, too quickly, but…

But I could hear it: a heartbeat. It was the heartbeat of a demon, one who was so close, one who–

I reached out weakly, my hand touching the spot where Naraku's heart would be. It was like back in the old days, when I was scared and terrified as a teenager, new to this holy power. It couldn't kill a demon unless I touched it, unless I made a physical connection to its heart.

And here and now, bleeding and seconds away from death, I finally got it. This was always meant to be. This was why there was a Chosen One, even if Onigumo could've been killed with a mere blade to the heart. He would always win. He would always transform into Naraku. That was destiny.

"You forgot one thing," I whispered. It came out strangled, thick with blood that started to choke me. Soon, I wouldn't be able to breathe. It was only a matter of time. "You're a demon and there's only one way…to kill…"

Choking, shaking, I grabbed at the strings of Naraku's black, demon heart. There was something else there, something that yearned for my touch. A glow of purple erupted from Naraku's chest as I pulled, clawing at the demon's chest while my fist closed, clenched, _killed_.

Purified.

The last thing I ever saw was blood red eyes – wide, disbelieving, _gone_.

* * *

**Comments to Acknowledge**

_IrishIndy:_ Thank you dear! I hope you liked this too, even though it's so very, very close to the end :)

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**Technically, this was the last _chapter_. The next one will probably be more of an epilogue because it'll be nowhere near the length I usually write. I can't believe this story is finally almost done!**

**Feedback is appreciated.**


	41. How Far We've Come

A massive thank you to** MsKaycee1999** for the awesome beta work. You're simply the best.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inuyasha. I do not profit from this story.

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**How to Kill Me**

**Chapter Forty-One: How Far We've Come**

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"_Imagine there's no Heaven. It's easy if you try. No Hell below us. Above us, only sky. Imagine all the people living for today…"_

_-Imagine, John Lennon_

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**INUYASHA**

* * *

For not the first time that day, Inuyasha was sure that he was hallucinating. It was bright, so bright absolutely everywhere. His mind was a whirl of shapes and colours, moving too fast for him to comprehend. Something was…happening. There was screaming, so much screaming. _Kagome_? It swirled around and around and around. The sky was there and then gone. The screaming got louder, so much louder. Where was the ground? Everything _hurt_.

Then there was nothing.

His eyes flew open, the shock of silence forcing something to curl in his stomach. He spun around, nausea rolling up his throat as his hand went to his head. His hair was damp and when the half-demon pulled his hand away, crimson blood slid between his fingers. "Fuck," he whispered, stifling back a groan before forcing himself to look around. _Kagome_. For a long moment, he didn't even see her. He had been hit from behind, by what he couldn't even be sure, and maybe she had gone flying in another direction. They had been running, escaping.

_You're not going to die. I am _not_ going to let you fucking die or so help me–_

Where the fuck was she?

It wasn't until the brush of ashes filled the air that Inuyasha realized what exactly was missing. There were no noises or roars or screams. There weren't any demons around. Everything was silent.

The ashes… Naraku was dead. Kagome purified him?

Struggling to get up, the half-demon stumbled over the uneven ground, blood dripping down his face and into his eyes. He blinked, rubbing at the golden orbs until he spotted Kagome's dark clothing, her body lying on the ground covered by ash.

Her brown eyes were wide open. He couldn't hear her breathing.

"Kagome?" he asked, the sound so quiet it was almost painful. "Kagome? _Kagome_!" He was shouting by the end, scrambling towards her and crashing down by her side. Her hands were clenched, mouth open, blood sliding down in droplets over her smooth, pale face.

The hole in her stomach made bile rise up and the half-demon barely had a moment until he was violently leaning to the side, throwing up what little was in his stomach. He could smell her, all of the blood and the _death_. Another wave of nausea slammed into him, making him dizzy. Everything distinctly _hurt_, all over. When he was finally able to look at her again – at her body because she wasn't there anymore – his golden eyes slid over to her hands, clenched so tightly the skin was sheet white. It made his eyes sting, but Inuyasha gently reached over and put his hands over hers. She was already cold, way too cold. He hadn't been passed out that long, had he?

Nothing was making sense. His eyes swept over her face but it was so hard to look at her when every part showed… Blood. It showed that she wasn't–

Shifting to hold her hand, Inuyasha realized with a start that she was clutching at something smooth and round. His heart pounded loudly in his ears and suddenly it was all he could see. The pink jewel, tinted just slightly darker glinted even without sunlight. So small and tiny, the half-demon barely had to move her hands for him to take it into his own, the power immediately singing into his veins. It was like a siren song, loud and piercing, thrumming. Like a tribal chant that grew louder and louder, making his whole body light up and dance.

The Shikon no Tama was calling him. It wanted him.

He could feel its power practically clawing and burying its way into him.

"She's dead."

The words, soft and far too calm, pierced through his skull. His hands dropped the jewel like it had burned him, the half-demon curling away from it and closer to Kagome. Inuyasha was breathing hard, startled and thrown by the wave of loss that hit him.

"It's almost impossible to let go of. It shows a great amount of feeling that you could."

"Who–" The words died on Inuyasha's lips when he looked over, seeing for the first time an angel so close. "Midoriko?"

"Inuyasha," the angel said, a tiny smile on her face. "And now we meet."

"What the fuck is going on?" Inuyasha asked, his golden eyes drawn to the Shikon no Tama. "I've never–"

"The jewel is tainted so very easily," Midoriko responded, her hand hovering over his shoulder before pulling away. "It's about power and forces that we cannot control within ourselves. It takes something stronger for us to let go of it."

Inuyasha shuddered, moving backwards until he hit Kagome…Kagome's body. "I didn't even think."

"What you felt for Kagome was far stronger than your need for power," Midoriko finished quietly. "It's a startling contrast from when you first began. However, it was always meant to be this way."

"That's why you nearly killed her?" the half-demon spat, suddenly angry. "When you flipped her car and sent her to the hospital?"

"I wouldn't have let it kill her," the angel answered, remaining so unbelievably calm that it irritated the half-demon further.

"Doesn't _fucking_ matter now, does it?" Inuyasha demanded. He hazarded a glance downward, seeing her wide open eyes before standing up and turning away. It hit him then, suddenly and hard. "You saved her." The half-demon spun, glaring at Midoriko. "Kagome…_died_ once before. You brought her to life."

Midoriko nodded, slowly. Her dark eyes gave nothing away. She still seemed so _relaxed_.

"Well what the _fuck_ are you waiting for?" Inuyasha screamed, stomping on the ground. "Fucking bring her back to life! Why are you just _standing there_?"

It made him angry – so much angrier – when the angel just looked at him with pity in her eyes. "Last time…it was too early. We needed her. Having another as the Chosen One would've made it hopeless. It would've been too late. We needed Kagome alive."

Inuyasha growled. "Don't you fucking say it."

"It's done," Midoriko replied, unrelenting. "Naraku is gone. We have the jewel. Kagome is no longer necessary."

Without warning, the half-demon lunged, flying at the angel. Midoriko sidestepped his attack with far too much ease but it didn't stop the rumbling in his chest, the sheer _fury_ he felt. He attacked again, catching the woman in the arm and sending her spinning. She blocked his next attack, her hands out as a barrier formed around her. Inuyasha didn't care. He didn't stop. He ran at the barrier, again and again. He scratched at it, his bloodied hands doing nothing but releasing the horrified intensity that was building in his chest.

Kagome couldn't just be _gone_. She couldn't be _dead_, with no hope for anything.

The barrier shattered suddenly, a screeching noise that made Inuyasha smirk. His eyes turned to the Shikon no Tama, feeling its siren call.

"Wait," Midoriko said, breathless. "Inuyasha, _don't_. I can't save her–"

"You fucking _said that already_," he hissed.

"But _you_ can." The angel flew out a hand, the jewel coming at her beckon and soaring towards her outstretched palm. Her dark eyes caught his gaze, holding hard as she offered the Shikon jewel. "We must return the jewel to Heaven," she said, her voice far too fast. "But the jewel affects us like it does you," she explained. "It pulls at us." Her pale hand curled around the small item, just in the slightest, hiding it. "It's dangerous to all of us, _but_ the humans. Naraku had demons within him, his own dark ritual that drove him mad with the jewel. Regular humans that are completely ignorant – it does nothing. But that won't stop the jewel from becoming tainted. No matter what the heart wants, it will always be tainted."

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, taking a cautious step forward. "The jewel can save her," he said, adding it together. "Kagome can keep the jewel purified. Can it bring her back to…" _Me?_

"No," Midoriko whispered. "But if the jewel is a part of her, something that happened during her struggle to kill him, then I have no choice but to revive her or the jewel will be buried with her and there's no telling what could happen."

Inuyasha took a deep breath, ignoring the pull of the Shikon no Tama and instead falling to the ground beside Kagome's dead body. "Please," he whispered, touching her hair and pushing it back. It was thick with blood, clumped and dirty with dirt. "Just bring her back, for fuck's sake. Because I won't stop until someone does and there's no telling who I'll kill between now and then."

"Then I have no choice," Midoriko whispered. She floated over, footsteps so light she was like a ghost. She bent over, the jewel glowing in her palm brighter and brighter.

"It was always within her," Inuyasha said, swallowing. "I'm just making sure you revive her."

"And since there's no telling what would happen, I have to keep her alive until Heaven can come up with a new plan," the angel responded, nodding. Her words soon became nothing more than a whisper on the wind, sharp vowels being accented as her foreign language poured from her lips.

Inuyasha could do nothing but watch, his hands once again holding hers, his eyes stinging as it got brighter, and brighter, and brighter.

* * *

Waking up was painful.

A shudder, a deep intake of stabbing breath and my eyes flew up, body lurching into the air. There were hands on me, holding me down gently and a firm but soft voice near my ear. "Kagome, _Kagome_, it's okay. You're okay."

My body felt like it was humming, like it had been asleep and now was covered in full-body pins and needles. "Inuyasha," I gasped, twisting until I could crawl into more of the heat his hands were producing. I was so cold. A shiver ran down my body and I huddled into the warmth as Inuyasha grabbed and moved me until I was in his lap, encircled.

"It worked," the half-demon whispered, his voice catching in his chest. His arms tightened around me, almost too tight. "You fucking died on me _again_."

"I know," I whispered, involuntarily shaking as a cold wave hit me. "Naraku…I had to–"

"Stop talking," Inuyasha panted, "holy shit, just stop."

Somehow we ended up falling backwards, the ground shifting me so that Inuyasha's hands could wander down to my stomach. It tingled where he touched me, an uncomfortable feeling that had me pulling away slightly. "Inuyasha, I don't–"

"You'll feel that for a while."

I twisted around, still in the half-demon's arms but able to see Midoriko hovering near us. Her eyes were wide, taking in the way the half-demon and I clung to each other. "Did you…save me?"

The angel shrugged. "The jewel was within you after you defeated Naraku. I must protect the Shikon no Tama, and that cannot be done if you're dead and we have no connection to it." A small smile appeared on her lips. "Your half-demon, however, truly did save you."

"Thank you," I murmured, my hand immediately stroking through Inuyasha's long locks.

"Your duty has been fulfilled," Midoriko continued, drawing my attention away once more from the half-demon. "Although I will be back once we have decided how to handle the disappearance of the jewel within you, I have the opportunity now to honour our part of the contract."

The next breath I took had me shivering once more, but I was certain it wasn't from the cold. "I can be free? I can stop this?"

"If you wish," the angel replied, nodding her head. "You will no longer have powers but you will be shielded from demons and danger outside of the blissful ignorance. I can make you…_normal_, for lack of a better word."

Inuyasha smirked at me, his hands soothing lines up and down my back. I looked at him, a part of me torn between something I had wanted for long and another part of me terrified for losing my powers. Biting my lower lip, I stared at the angel. "My family will be saved?"

"Absolutely," she confirmed. "Your brother and his family…even your mother."

The thought of being able to go home was overwhelming. After all these years of thinking that I would always be alone, always unable to contact them to let them know the truth. Could I finally go back? Was that even an option anymore, after all this time?

"It's your choice," Inuyasha said quietly. "For once, this is entirely your choice."

"Christ," I whispered, closing my eyes. "Now you're all sentimental."

The half-demon gave a choked laugh. "Yeah, well, shit happens when you watch…" He waved his hand in my direction, expression tight. I could read between the lines. _When you watch someone important die_. _Again_.

Midoriko was calmly looking at me, patiently waiting for my response. Her hand extended slowly, a partial bridge that I could gap. "It's up to you," she conceded.

Taking a deep breath, I reached out. "Do it," I finally said. It sounded weak, scared. Licking my lips, I fixed my throat and tried again. "Take away my powers and please, protect my family."

Our hands touched and a bright light illuminated from between us. The angel's expression shifted slightly and her smile grew far larger than I had ever seen it. "It is done."

I expected to feel different, but there was nothing. My stomach still felt fuzzy when I reached down to touch the spot where Naraku had clawed through me. Midoriko looked pleased though and I had no reason to doubt her. "What about my friends?" I asked, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

"They are temporarily frozen in time," Midoriko responded, interrupting. "We had matters to discuss and not everyone can be witness." Her long dark hair spilled over her shoulder as she looked around the forest. "You'll find that they're already on their way."

"Thank you," I whispered. There was nothing else to say. "Thank you."

The angel tilted her head in acknowledgement, offering one last wave before there was a flutter of wind and she was gone.

Inuyasha groaned, sitting up and pressing his head against my shoulder. "Thank fuck."

"Well said, puppy, well said."

"Are you fucking _kidding me_?" I yelled, rolling until I was in a crouch, staring at the duke of Hell. "I swear to fuck if you come near me I _will not hesitate_–"

"Your powers are gone, my star," Astaroth murmured, delighted. His hands were thrown up however, a show of defence when he didn't need one. "I've just come to say my farewells."

"You're not even supposed to be able to come near me," I hissed. Inuyasha was standing in front of me, still as protective as ever. "That was part of the deal."

Astaroth actually laughed, the skin crinkling around his red eyes. "That's adorable. My dear, I'm already hot on your scent. I'm like a bloodhound. You'll never get rid me."

"This is after, isn't it?" Inuyasha asked. I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. "I can rip him apart now?"

"Not that you want to," Astaroth corrected, waggling a finger. "But you both look so tense. Have sex, it'll loosen you right up; solve that tight anxious I-almost-lost-you energy."

"Where did you go?" I demanded, my voice rising. "You were gone."

"I was…_delayed_," the duke of Hell murmured. The smile completely left his face, his eyes hardening. In a split second, the expression disappeared. "Hardly matters now. I'm going to be off. I can hear your absurd human allies loping through the forest as I speak. Farewell, my star. I will miss you."

"I really am not sure I can say that same."

The duke of Hell grinned and snapped his fingers. "That's the spirit. I love your fire. Take care of this one, puppy. She's going to have a leash on you sooner or later."

Inuyasha growled but it was all in vain. The demon vanished before our eyes, his too-large grin the last thing to disappear.

"I hate him," the half-demon snarled. His hands slid around my waist, pulling me closer for a split second. "I can hear them coming. Miroku's not doing so good; hold on."

I watched as Inuyasha leaped, hidden by the foliage within a split second. I started to move forwards, inching my way over the roots and damaged tree trunks. Soon enough, they all appeared; Inuyasha carried Miroku with his eyes already in the middle of a roll.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled, grinning wildly as she ran over. She tackled me in a hug, unknowing to the fact that I had been dead a mere few minutes ago. The fact that I had been dead and would've been missing all this… I hugged my friend back tightly, burying my face in her neck. "Are you okay?" she asked, pulling back slightly.

"As good as I'm ever going to be," I murmured, smiling. "And powerless, too."

"Really?" Sango asked, curious. "They already…?"

I nodded, just in time for Inuyasha and Miroku to join our group. "How are you holding up?" I asked the black-haired man, shaking my head at his charming smile.

"I've sprained something," Miroku replied, shrugging. "But you know that wouldn't stop me."

"Obviously," Sango said, sighing. She turned to me suddenly, eyes soft. "What about the other demon? Is he…?"

I shook my head. "He's gone."

"What about your brother?" Miroku added, poking at Inuyasha. "Is he around?"

"That bastard wouldn't die, even if I begged for it," Inuyasha muttered, looking into the forest. I could see the way his golden stare scanned across, stopping every few seconds. Sesshomaru was still out there, probably on his own way. He had never been fond of me anyways.

"Time to go home?" I asked, linking my arm around Sango's. "Although, we don't have a duke of Hell to beam us."

"That's okay," Sango replied, grinning. "All we need is a bank. Miroku and I didn't own a popular demon slayer bar for nothing."

"Inuyasha," I said, a grin tipping my lips. "Go find us a bank."

"Only for you," the half-demon answered, smirking slightly at my shocked expression before he tightened his grip on Miroku. "Hold on tight. Trust me, the first time is the hardest."

"The first time is the hardest for–"

Inuyasha bent down and then leapt into the air, so air and far away that Miroku's screams were barely heard.

"Tell your boyfriend me next," Sango murmured, clearly amused.

I laughed and sank back down to the ground, finally able to relax.

* * *

A solid day later, after a very long journey back to the same dingy motel, Sango and Miroku both hugged me tightly.

"Are you sure you want to do this right away?" Sango asked gently, her hand tugging at my own. "You are allowed to have a breather, you know."

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, but… This was already long overdue."

"Take as many stops as you need," Miroku murmured. "You slept a lot on the way here but don't overdo it. Inuyasha, make sure she doesn't."

"You make it sound like I have any sort of say," the half-demon drawled. Freshly showered with no blood in his hair, Inuyasha pressed against my back and put his head above mine. "I'll try my hardest though."

"Do that," Miroku replied, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. "Any means necessary, and all that."

"Miroku, _please_," Sango sighed, hitting him lightly on the shoulder.

"What?" he demanded, throwing his hands in the air. "They love each other. Why can't they have all the sex now that the big bad wolf is gone?"

I blinked, stilling. It was a hard reflex to kill and surely the half-demon behind me felt it, pressed against me as it was. We hadn't exactly said words like _love_ yet. Or, they hadn't been said out loud.

When sober.

"Look what you did!" Sango yelled, her magenta eyes wide. "Look how terrified you made them! They both look like deer in headlights, goddamn it." She huffed, staring at me apologetically. "I can't control him."

"I noticed," I replied, not knowing what else to say. "Drive safe."

"We will." Miroku waved off Inuyasha trying to help him into the car. I could only watch as my friends got into their truck, weapons long forgotten in the forest but unneeded, at least for a long while. I smiled and waved as they drove off, waiting until they were no more than a blur in my vision before turning to face the half-demon beside me.

It was only slightly unnerving to see him staring at me intently, his golden eyes just as piercing as on the very first day when we met. Despite Miroku's words, nothing felt awkward between us. It wasn't like either of us were startled. We both _knew_ it.

"You ready?" I asked, smiling teasingly at him.

Inuyasha took several steps forwards, forcing me back against my car before his lips touched mine. "Not yet," he whispered, closing the distance as his hands pulled me closer. I wrapped my arms around him, holding on, too afraid to let go. There were no more bad guys. There were no more demons that I had to take care of – I couldn't do much even if I wanted to.

Pulling away, Inuyasha pressed his lips against my forehead, his mouth moving slowly as the words _I love you_ were placed on my skin.

My hands grabbed at his cheeks, tugging softly until we were once again kissing. "I love you too," I whispered, far too softly to probably even be heard, but like his lips against my forehead, I knew the message came across.

"Come on," Inuyasha mumbled gently, still holding on. "If we're going to drive all the way to Bridgeport, we'll need to leave now to get a good start."

"You think we should?" I asked, feeling the small pang of doubt that kept recurring every time I thought about it. "Is it…smart?"

"I think you need to meet your niece," the half-demon responded. "And I think your niece needs to meet the aunt she was named after."

I laughed, slightly hysterical. "They won't even believe me, _if_ I have the chance to explain myself. I don't have powers or anything."

"Then I guess I'll have to suffer as you cut through my spell and show them my ears."

"They'll just think you're a strange cat." Inuyasha's glare was far too amusing, the tension easing up in my chest as I laughed. "Okay, okay."

"Drive," he urged, kissing me one last time before getting into the passenger seat.

For a long moment I stood there, letting the cool air settle along my skin. My hand touched my stomach, the buzz below my skin beginning to fade but still there. Staring at my hands, I looked at them and marvelled how they didn't look any different, but they _were_. So much had changed within a day, it was mind-blowing.

Opening my palm, I stretched it in that familiar way I always had when extending my powers. There was nothing around, nothing to connect it to, but– A sudden, tiny pink glow formed in the centre of my palm, like a flicker of a flame. It spread, slowly licking at my fingers as the buzz under my skin grew.

The car door opening startled me and the pink glow disappeared, my newfound powers from the jewel sinking back into my skin. Inuyasha growled out from behind me, sounding irritated. "Hello? Can we go? This car is already making me itch."

I didn't look back at him, my eyes drawn to my hand. It still looked so normal. Just like before. "Jittery?"

"It's fucking tiny in here. Come on, wench. _Let's go_."

"Maybe it's the new car smell that's finally getting to you," I murmured, unable to contain my grin as I clenched my fist. I spun around and got into the driver's seat, turning the Acura on. "Don't end the romance so soon there."

"I don't know what that word means," Inuyasha growled in response, his eyes closed and seat reclined back. "Drive, wench."

"Only for you, dog boy," I replied, giving his own words back to him before turning up the music loud.

Bridgeport, here we come.

* * *

**After, well, many years, I am pleased to say that How to Kill Me is finally complete. This is 521 pages of my soul in Supernatural-esque AU hand-wavy madness. I hope you enjoyed the ride.**

**As always, feedback is love.**


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